Doctor Occult and the Seven

Mirror, Mirror

by Drivtaan

Continued from The Devil You Say

Prologue

Ricardo Roarke awoke to a faint sound somewhere in a distant part of the house. It was the sound of breaking glass. He gave the sound little thought, however, knowing that his butler would take care of the situation. He was moments away from slipping back into the land of dreams when someone began pounding on his bedroom door.

“Boss!” the voice was an octave higher than normal and bore an unusual accent. “Boss, come quick.”

Ricardo was out of bed in an instant. He was tying the belt of his robe when he opened the door. His diminutive butler was already scurrying down the hall.

Three minutes later, the duo was standing at the door to the room of mirrors. Ricardo felt his heart drop as he unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Even without turning the light on, he could see shards of glass glittering on the floor. He could feel the beads of sweat forming on his brow as he touched the switch and light appeared overhead. The scene before him stole the strength from his legs.

Every mirror in the room was either cracked or shattered.

“Madre de Dios,” he whispered, as he knelt in the broken glass.

“This is very bad,” the butler said.

“Very bad, indeed,” Ricardo confirmed. “Each of these mirrors was a portal to another dimension. They are now useless.”

“Do you think it was Morgauth?” the butler asked.

Ricardo nodded. “My family has been charged with keeping this diablo imprisoned for over 100 years. Ever since the Crisis a couple of years ago, I have feared that he would attempt to free himself from the mirrors.”

“But, Boss. If he is free, why haven’t we seen him?” the butler asked. “The door was still locked when I arrived, and it stayed that way until you came and opened it.”

“If he has not appeared here, then Morgauth must be roaming the paths to other dimensions seeking another way out.”

“What of Senor Lane and his friends?” the small man asked.

“Madre de Dios,” Ricardo said. “Since they were the ones who recently used the mirrors, it is possible that Morgauth will follow their path. My God, Ville! I may have condemned them to death.”

Part 1

Richard Occult awoke to find himself lying across his bed. He opened and closed his mouth several times, tasting the stale air that had settled within. Pushing himself up, he slowly got to his feet.

“I must have really been tired last night,” he muttered. “I normally make an effort to at least remove my shoes and overcoat before hitting the hay. Oh, well. I might as well take a shower since I’m up.”

Stripping down to his slacks, Richard grabbed a towel from the linen closet and headed into the bathroom. While hanging the towel on the towel bar, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror.

“Man. I look as terrible as I feel.”

He turned the water on, and, as he did, he felt his blood run cold. Richard suddenly turned back to the mirror.

I’m not supposed to be here,” he whispered.

He rushed back into the bedroom and grabbed the phone. A few seconds later, he was listing to the ringing on the other end. “Come on, Kelli. Pick up.”

After a dozen rings, he hung up and tried T.J.’s number. The results were the same.

Richard knew that the trip from his apartment to Charleston, South Carolina could be made in seconds, thanks to his own abilities; he decided to finish his shower and then go see Detective Walker. It only took twenty minutes before he was standing outside of the police station where Brian worked.

“Can I help you?” an officer asked as he entered the building.

A detective coming out of the stairwell recognized the man in the trench coat and fedora and walked over to him. “You’re that Occult fellow that visited Brian a few times, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Richard replied.

“Are you here to collect his things?” the detective asked.

Richard felt his knees begin to weaken. “What are you talking about? Why would I be here to collect his things?”

“I’m sorry,” the detective apologized. “I thought that since he had no next of kin, you were here to collect his personal possessions.”

“Are you telling me that Brian is dead?” Occult asked.

“Oh, man. I thought you knew.” The detective took Richard by the arm and led him to a bench. He signaled the officer who first met Richard to bring a cup of coffee.

“When…when did it happen?”

“Detective Walker…Brian…was investigating a case a couple weeks ago when he found himself in trouble. Things got bad real fast. We got a call about shots being fired, and when we got there, it was too late. We know that Brian got off at least one shot of his own, because we found a second body not far from where he lay. Ballistics matched the slugs in Brian to the other man’s gun.”

The officer approached and handed Richard the coffee.

“Look. If you need some time alone, I can find an empty office for you to…”

“No. I’ll be fine.” Richard hoped he sounded convincing. “If you don’t mind, I will take his things.”

“Not a problem,” the detective said. “You wait right here, and I’ll go get them.”

As the man walked away, he couldn’t help but feel that this was all his fault.

A light drizzle had begun to fall by the time Dr. Occult left the station. He hoped that Kelli or T.J. were at the warehouse that they were using as their headquarters. Despite being anxious to find his friends, the news of Brian’s death took more out of him than he had realized. He decided to skip the teleport and take a cab.

When he arrived, he found the warehouse shut up tight. He paid the cab driver and waited until the car had pulled out of sight. Since he had recovered somewhat from the shock, it took very little effort for him to teleport inside.

Once inside, he turned on the lights and began to look around. Due to the thin layer of dust that was starting to cover the tables and lab equipment, Richard knew that no one had been here for a few weeks.

“If I just knew how long we were in that other dimension,” he said aloud.

Obviously, there was nothing else to be learned here. With that knowledge, Richard decided to try and call his two young friends again.

As he leaned against the desk in the office, he was met with the same results as before. Richard was slowly coming to despise the sound of a ringing phone.

“What have I gotten these kids into?” Richard asked himself. It was a question to which he had no answer.

Part 2

Dr. Occult hung up the phone. Seconds later, he saw a portal open and someone stepped through. The newcomer wore a blue and gold costume; a golden helmet obscured his face.

“Dr. Fate,” Richard said. “Thank you for coming.”

“I guessed that it must be serious if you used a telephone to contact me instead of doing it telepathically,” Fate said.

“I have all but exhausted my energy,” Occult explained.

Even without his mystic abilities, Fate could sense that his friend was under a lot of stress. “What’s wrong?”

Richard quickly explained what had happened since he and his friends had left for Spain almost three weeks earlier. “I can’t seem to sense them anywhere,” he said to conclude his account.

“Hang on and I’ll see what I can do,” Dr. Fate told him.

After several minutes of silence, Dr. Fate shook his head. “I don’t understand it.”

“What’s wrong?” Richard asked him.

“The barrier between the worlds is as strong as ever,” Fate told him, “but I can’t locate them anywhere. I’m sorry to tell you this, Richard, but it’s like your friends have ceased to exist.”

The last of Richard’s strength chose then to desert him. It was only Dr. Fate’s reflexes that kept the man from falling.

Supporting his friend, Fate saw an image of a familiar brownstone in Gotham in his mind, and instantly, they were there.

* * * * *

Richard suddenly found himself in a very dark room on a very hard floor. “Fate?”

“Call it fate, call it destiny, call it whatever you want, but you are where you are, and there is no way out.”

The voice in the darkness was cold and hollow, and Richard couldn’t shake the feelings of dread that were creeping into his soul.

Part 3

The room in which T.J. awoke was equally dark and equally dreadful.

“Is it really this dark in… wherever I am, or have I suddenly gone blind?” he asked.

“Hopefully,” a voice responded, “it is just the darkness, because I have been wondering about my own sight.”

“Mr. Lane?” the young man asked.

“In a situation like this,” Lazarus said, “I think we can dispense with the politeness. Please, call me Lazarus.”

“I’m Thomas, but my friends call me T.J.”

“T.J. it is,” Lazarus said. “I’ve felt around for Miss Lockhart, but I’ve had no luck in locating her.”

“Hopefully, she is with Dr. Occult,” T.J. said, suddenly nervous.

“From what I can tell,” Lazarus said, changing the subject, “we appear to be in some kind of dungeon.”

T.J. stood, and, with his arms stretched out in front of him, walked forward until his hands touched a stone wall. As he felt along the wall, he told Lazarus what he was doing. Lazarus held his arms out, and walked forward until he, too, was touching a wall. Once the two men had located each other, they started off in opposite directions, seeing if they could find a door.

After a couple of seconds, Lazarus spoke. “I think I’ve found a wall sconce.”

T.J. nodded, then realized his cellmate couldn’t see what he was doing. “I just found one, too. It fells like there is a torch still in it.”

The young man tugged the piece of wood out of the sconce. As he did so, he felt a slight chill. Running his hand up the wood, T.J. let out a yelp and dropped the torch to the floor.

“What’s wrong?” Lazarus asked.

“It’s like I just plunged my hand into the North Atlantic in the middle of winter,” the young man commented.

“Look at the floor,” Lazarus replied, apparently not concerned with his friend’s discomfort.

T.J. looked down, and was surprised by the fact that he was actually able to see the floor. It looked as though it was cloaked in twilight, but he could make it out, nonetheless. The burned-out torch lay just at the edge of a small circle of shadow.

Lazarus slowly pulled the torch he had found from its sconce as well. As he held it up close to his face, like T.J., he, too, felt a chill. On impulse, he let it fall. A small circle of twilight appeared at his feet.

“See if you can find any more of these torches,” the man said. “If you do, remove them from where they hang and toss them to the floor.”

Between the two of them, they found six more of the torches and tossed them to the floor. With each dropped torch, the room became lighter and light. When the last torch fell, T.J. was finally able to see Lazarus.

“Weird,” T.J. said.

“It seems that these torches produced darkness and cold, rather than light and heat,” Lazarus replied.

“Well, at least now we can see each other.”

“We could,” Lazarus said, “if you were visible.”

“Sorry,” T.J. apologized. “My hood must have ended up over my head when we were put in here. Hang on, and I’ll…” He went quiet.

“What’s wrong?” Lazarus asked.

“The hood makes me invisible when I put it on,” T.J. said.”

“And?”

“And, when I went to take it off,” T.J.’s voice fell to almost a whisper. “Lazarus, I’m not wearing my hood.”

Part 4

“It has been so long, it has, it has, since I’ve seen a human female that I had all but forgotten how truly exquisite they are. Truly, truly.”

The strange voice banished the last of the cobwebs that clouded Kelli Lockhart’s mind, and brought her to full awareness of her surroundings. The blue jeans and tee shirt she had put on the morning she had entered Mr. Roarke’s room of mirrors were gone. Instead, she now wore a satiny black chemise trimmed in white lace beneath an open-sided surcote of green brocade. Even her hiking boots had been replaced with a simple pair of leather shoes. Talk about damsel in distress, she thought.

“Who are you?” Kelli asked. “Where are my friends?”

“Friends?” the voice asked. “Where are they? Where are they?”

Kelli got the distinct feeling that her captor was not playing with a full deck. She decided that she might be able to exploit this bit of deduction and get him to tell what she wanted to know. First, she had to catch him off guard.

“Did you like seeing me naked?” she asked.

“Naked?” The voice sputtered. “Naked? Why would I have seen you naked? Why would I? Why?”

“You must have if you changed my clothes,” Kelli answered.

“Not gentlemanly. Not gentlemanly.”

The words were scarcely more than a whisper, but the acoustics in the room easily carried them to Kelli’s ears.

“Did you like what you saw?” Kelli asked.

“I saw nothing. Saw nothing,” the voice said. “Servants changed your clothes.”

“Who are you?” Kelli’s change in conversation caught the mystery-man off guard. Almost.

“I am Professor Van…Ah. Tricky girl. Tricky, tricky.”

Kelli heard metal brushing against metal. Apparently, her captor was not in the room with her, but in an adjoining one.

She did take comfort in the fact that he seemed to have a touch of decency about him even if it didn’t prevent him from locking her in a dark dungeon cell. As she glanced around, Kelli began to piece together what she had learned already. Her captor was male, probably closer to Dr. Occult’s age, if not a little older. He had servants, apparently female. He had an apparent love for medieval things. And, almost as an afterthought, Kelli got the feeling that, despite servants, the professor was a lonely man.

All right, Professor Van, she thought. Let’s see how you hold up the next time we speak.

Part 5

“Take a deep breath,” the voice told Richard. “It seems like you have had a very bad dream.”

Richard did as he was told. “It was not a dream,” he said, “it was a nightmare. Fortunately.”

“That is the first time I’ve heard someone relieved that they had a nightmare,” the voice said.

“The fact that it was a nightmare means that it is possible my friends are all right,” Richard said. “So, where am I, where are my friends, and who are you?”

There was a pause before the hollow voice answered. “Who I am is the easiest of the three questions, so I’ll answer that first,” it said. “I was originally called Robbie by my creator.”

“Your creator?” Richard asked.

“His name was Robert Crane, a brilliant scientist in the field of…”

“Robotics,” Richard finished. “I remember him. We fought together as a part of the All-Star Squadron. Wait a minute. You must be the robot dog he built.”

“If it wasn’t for this infernal darkness,” Robbie said, “you probably would have figured that out without being told. So, who are you? For some reason, my sensors can’t seem to pick you out.”

“I’m Dr. Richard Occult,” the man replied. “What about the first two questions?”

Robbie allowed himself a mechanical laugh. “Well, that is something I have been trying to figure out for quite a while. What year is it? My internal chronometer seems to be malfunctioning.

“1988,” Occult answered.

“I have been here for 35 years,” Robbie said. “Robotman and I had a falling out in 1953, and I left. It wasn’t anything serious, but I was as stubborn as he was.

“It was while I was in Metropolis that I noticed something odd-a man stepped out of a mirror, robbed a bank, then disappeared back into the mirror. Since Superman was nowhere around, I decided to follow the guy. The next thing I know, I’m in this topsy-turvy world having major problems with my systems. During a system downtime, the robber, a guy named Professor Van Ish, found me and tossed me in here.

“Some time back, the skies outside turned an odd color, and the next thing I knew, the professor started going nuts-kept running the halls crying about not being able to get back to someplace called Fawcett City.”

“Mr. Roarke mentioned that this had happened. Apparently, world-specific dimensions reattached themselves to the wrong earth before the barriers were put in place. This dimension must have been attached to what we called Earth-S before the Crisis occurred.”

Robbie had no idea what the man was talking about. What he did know was that he apparently had talents that could help him get back home. Of course, they had to get out of this cell first, but, for now, that was enough for the robot dog.

Part 6

“Put your hood on,” Lazarus told T.J.

Although T.J. and Lazarus hadn’t known each other for very long, the younger man felt he could trust the older man enough to do as he was told. As he pulled his hood up over his head, Lazarus smiled.

“There you are,” Lazarus said.

“How did you know?” T.J. asked.

“Think about it,” Lazarus replied. “The torches gave off darkness instead of light. Your hand grew very cold when you accidentally touched the flame. Then, as we threw the torches to the floor, and the flames went out, the cell began to get lighter.”

“So, wherever we are, things do the opposite of what they should,” T.J. reasoned. “If that’s the case, then it shouldn’t be too hard to escape from here.”

“There are two possible ways we can escape,” Lazarus said. “Either we lock the door, or we pull on it like we are closing it.”

Since it was the easier of the two suggestions, T.J. put his hands on the small set of bars that made up the door’s window and gave a tug. When nothing happened, he put his face to the bars to see if he could see the keyhole. He could see the keyhole, but not a key. The darkness led him to believe there were more torches in the hallway.

“Any more suggestions?” the young man asked.

“We’ll think of something,” Lazarus assured him.

Gently, T.J. put his head against the door…and it swung open with a bang; the lock was a mangled mess.”

As he stood there with his mouth hanging open, Lazarus walked past T.J. and patted him on the back. “Well, that’s using your head.”

T.J. smiled. “I guess so.”

Outside of the cell, the two men found a table with Lazarus’ whip laying on it. The man reclaimed his weapon, then turned to his friend.

“Let’s go find the others.”

Interlude

Salem, Massachusetts- Kent Nelson awoke with an annoying headache. Sitting up, his bare feet resting on an Oriental rug he had picked up while visiting ancient China, he began to massage his temples. In the bed behind him, he sensed his wife, Inza, starting to stir. The moment he pushed himself to his feet, her lamp began to glow.

“Bad dream.” Her words were a statement of fact, not a question.

Kent nodded. “Is it that obvious?”

Crawling to her husband’s side of the bed, Inza took his hand and looked up at him. “It was about Dr. Occult, and that team he has gathered.” Again, her words bore no trace of curiosity.

Kent glanced back at her. She had encountered enough of the supernatural for him to realize that there was more to this than met the eyes. “You, too?”

Inza nodded. “Vaguely. I saw Richard and those kids stepping through mirrors, there was a sound of breaking glass, then I heard him call your name.”

“That is pretty much what I dreamed as well,” Kent said. “The exception, in my case, is that I feel like I was almost walking through whatever dream he was having.”

“He’s in trouble, isn’t he?” Inza asked.

“I believe so.”

Part 7

Much the same way her friends had, Kelli examined the confines of her cell to determine her situation. She was almost to the door when it began to open; she took a step backwards. Here eyes grew wide with disbelief when she saw what had entered.

Walking playing cards armed with spears and carrying unlit torches entered her cell. She didn’t know which surprised her more, the living cards, or the fact that their unlit torches gave off light.

“The master bids you accompany us,” a Jack-of-Spades said.

“Talk about going through the looking glass,” Kelli whispered, although it came out more like a shout.

The playing cards were a bit taken back by her outburst, and leveled their spears in her direction.

Kelli raised her hands and apologized. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to yell.”

The Jack-of-Spades nodded, and the others lowered their weapons.

Kelli moved towards the door.

The cards moved to surround her when, without warning, a strong gust of wind caught the card men and blew them up against the back wall. Kelli dropped to the floor, unsure of what she should do. When she heard her guards groaning, she looked up. Standing in the doorway, T.J. (wearing his hood) and Lazarus were shaking hands.

Stepping inside the cell, both men reached down to help her up; Kelli accepted both hands.

The trio left the cell, and Lazarus pushed the door to but didn’t try to lock it. A brief explanation and Kelli understood what her two friends had already figured out.

“Nice dress, by the way,” T.J. commented.

Kelli looked down. “I guess,” she replied. “Have you seen any other humans around here?”

“No, why?” Lazarus asked.

“Because I didn’t dress myself,” the girl said. “I awoke to find myself in that cell wearing this dress. A Professor Van…something spoke to me from another room, and when I asked him about my clothes, he told me it was “not gentlemanly,” and that servants had done the changing.”

“Then, we need to find this professor and see what’s going on,” T.J. said.

“First,” Kelli said, “we need to find Richard.”

Part 8

“So,” Richard said, “have you ever made any attempts at escaping?”

“Once,” Robbie replied. “I charged the door, but all I got for my trouble was a bent ear piece. I have heard guards pass by, but no one has bothered to check on me since the professor realized that I was not a real dog.”

Richard began to check his pockets, as if he had just remembered something important.

“Lose something, Doc?”

“Just checking to see if our jailer took any of my stuff. Ah, here it is.”

“Did you find something that could help us get out of here?” Robbie asked.

“Quite possibly,’ Richard said. “If the Symbol of the Seven still works in this dimension.”

Focusing his mind and his energy, Richard began to chant softly, the hand holding the round red-and-black disc stretched out towards the door. Under normal circumstances, he would have just held the disc out and willed something to happen. Since he was in an unfamiliar dimension, however, he decided that a more precise attempt to call upon the power would be safer.

The robot dog waited patiently for something to happen.

Almost a minute passed and nothing.

“I don’t understand it,” Richard said. “It’s like watching a snowstorm through a window; you can feel the cold, but you can’t touch the snow. I can feel the mystical energy, but I can’t seem to grasp hold of it.”

“You’re way beyond me,” Robbie said. “I’ll take science over voodoo any day.”

Richard was only mildly offended at the robot’s comment, but under the circumstances, it was hard to disagree with him.

“It’s not as easy as it seems in story books,” Richard told him. “You can’t just say “Open Sesame” and expect….”

Before he could finish his sentence, the cell door began to swing open.

“You were saying,” Robbie said.

“But, magic doesn’t work like that.”

“I guess it does here,” the dog said.

The conversation quickly died when Kelli stepped through the open door. “Who’s you friend?” she asked.

Robbie introduced himself as he trotted towards the door. “I’m Robbie, the robot dog.”

Richard was so relieved to see his friends that he gave them each a hug. “Thanks for letting us out.”

“The door was already opening when we approached,” Lazarus told him. “We just happened to hear you talking.”

Robbie looked up at Richard. “Science,” was all he said.

Part 9

Charleston, South Carolina- “I’m looking for Detective Brian Walker.”

The desk sergeant looked up and started to choke on the drink off coffee he had just taken. A yellow-gloved hand reached across the desk and patted him on the back. The surprised officer held up his hand to indicate that he was better.

“You…you’re Dr. Fate,” he said, when he could breathe again.

Beneath his golden helmet, Kent smiled; this was an effect he and his friends often had on people. “Yes, I am. Is Detective Walker here?”

The sergeant called one of the other officers over to cover the desk. This was one visitor he decided to personally escort wherever he needed to go.

“This way,” he said.

Brian heard the murmurs before his visitor arrived. He was no less surprised than the desk sergeant to see one of the Justice Society’s top dogs coming toward him. He stood up and extended his hand.

Dr. Fate accepted the man’s hand. “Detective Walker. We need to talk.”

“John,” Brian said to the sergeant, “I’ll be in interview room one if anyone needs me.”

Moments later, the two men were deep in conversation.

After explaining the dream, Dr. Fate asked the detective if he knew where Dr. Occult had gone.

“He, T.J. and Kelli took the Red Torpedo to Spain,” Brian said. “They were going to investigate the possibility of Lazarus Lane-El Diablo-still being alive.”

“El Diablo?” Fate asked.

“A cowboy who, according to his journal, was destined to battle evil. Richard stumbled across Mr. Lane’s journal in an old bookstore, and couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed to find him.”

“Hourman told me of your abilities,” Dr. Fate said. “Would you care to join me on a trip to Spain?”

“Let me tell the captain that I’ll be taking some leave,” Brian said. “I’ll have to get a change of clothes and my passport from home.”

“Let me talk to your captain,” Dr. Fate said. “I’ll tell him you are needed for a special mission.”

“Sounds good to me.” Despite his light-heartedness, Brian couldn’t help but worry that something was terribly wrong.

Part 10

Three levels above the dungeons, Professor Van Ish paced back and forth; nearby, a tripod-mounted spyglass stood facing out a window.

“I have searched throughout the entire castle, and have yet to find an unbroken mirror. Unbroken,” the old man said.

The spyglass spun towards the professor and blinked. “I spy nothing yet, Master,” it said. “Are you sure she’s coming?”

“Of course, she’s coming,” the professor replied. “Where, oh where, are you my marvelous Mary? Marvelous Mary Marvel. It isn’t like her to not pursue me. Pursue me. Keep looking. Looking.”

As the spyglass turned its attention back to the window, searching the green skies and the blue fields, a Jack-of-Hearts burst into the room.

“Escaped,” it said, over and over.

“Who has escaped?” Van Ish asked.

“All.”

“Find them and bring them here. Here,” the professor said.

After the card left, Van Ish put his arms behind his back and began to pace once more. “If they have escaped the dungeon, then, perhaps they may be able to escape from this realm. Perhaps. And, perhaps they might be persuaded to take me with them. Perhaps.”

“Master!” the spyglass cried out. In its excitement, it spun towards the professor too fast and made four complete circuits before finally coming to a stop. “Whoa,” it said, feeling somewhat dizzy.

“What is it?” Van Ish asked, rushing toward the window.

“It’s Morgauth,” the spyglass said. “He’s attacking the castle.”

Looking out the window, the professor saw that his mortal enemy, the dread Morgauth, was cresting one of the distant hills. The expression on his face left no doubt as to where he was headed and what was on his mind.

“Oh, my marvelous Mary Marvel. Where are you when I need you? When I need you?”

Near the open door, a second Jack-of-Hearts stood.

In the dungeon, the reunited team, along with Robbie the robot dog, was surprised to see a Jack-of-Hearts coming towards them. As they prepared to fight their way to freedom, the card suddenly threw its spear on the ground at their feet.

“Come,” it said, beckoning them to follow with its thin hands. It turned to go, but when it realized that it was not being followed, it turned back to the escaped prisoners. “Come.”

Looking at each other, not quite certain if they were being lead into a trap, the group began to discuss what they should do. Confident in their own abilities, they had just decided to follow the card when a second Jack rounded the corner and slammed into the first Jack.

“Hurry,” it said. “Morgauth!”

“Morgauth?” T.J. repeated. “Maybe that means “hurry faster” in their language?”

Kelli studied the actions of the two Jacks and began to shake her head. “I don’t think so.” The excited sounds of playing cards running and shouting from all directions seemed to confirm her suspicions.

“I think this Morgauth is attacking,” she said.

“Yes!” the newly arrived Jack replied. “The master seeks your help.”

All eyes turned to Richard, and he knew they were looking to him for leadership. Despite the fact that they had been placed in cells, he knew that his friends would not turn down anyone in need of help. He looked at the Jacks. “Lead on.”

Part 11

Dr. Fate and Brian were surprised to find Ville waiting for them on the stoop the moment they appeared. The diminutive butler bowed at the waist, then pushed the front door open.

“This way, please,” Ville said. “Mr. Roarke is waiting for you on the veranda.”

The retired television star wore a white suit, similar to what he had worn on “Isle of Fantasies.” He stood as his guests approached. “Welcome, Dr. Fate,” Ricardo said. “And you must be Detective Walker; Richard spoke very highly of you.”

After shaking Ricardo’s hand, the two men sat down.

“So,” Ricardo said, “I assume you are here about your friends.”

“Yes,” Fate said.

“Perhaps you would like something to drink as we speak?”

Before either of his guests could respond, Ville suddenly appeared (Brian hadn’t even noticed the diminutive butler leave) bearing a pitcher and three glasses. He set the tray on the table and left.

Fate removed his helmet as Ricardo poured them each a glass of ice-cold water.

“I have heard many good things about you from a mutual friend,” the actor said, addressing Dr. Fate.

Fate raised his eyebrows as he accepted the glass. “Oh, that’s right. You knew Zatara.”

Ricardo nodded. “Giovanni was a good man.” To Brian, he said, ” You seem surprised that I know of my friend’s double life.”

“Only mildly,” Brian said. “After some of the things I’ve seen since meeting Richard, it takes a bit more than that to really throw me off.”

“Would it surprise you to find out that I, too, am one of the guardians of the mystic?” Ricardo asked.

Brian laughed. “I stand corrected.”

“I am a guardian of the mirrors,” the older man said. “I’ll admit that it isn’t as glamorous as what Dr. Fate and your friend Richard do, but it has it purpose.”

“Mr. Roarke is one of a group of individuals that act as custodians who monitor the use of magical mirrors as pathways to various dimensions,” Fate said before taking another drink of water.

“I was until last night,” Ricardo said.

“So, it’s true?” Fate asked.

“Yes. Ville woke me in the middle of the night after hearing breaking glass,” Ricardo said. “When we opened the door, we discovered that all of the mirrors were broken.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Brian said.

“It means that your friends are trapped in a different dimension,” Ricardo told him. “I’m afraid I can be of little assistance to you. I can give you a warning. I believe that an extra-dimensional being called Morgauth is involved.”

Brian looked to Dr. Fate, unsure of what they should do.

“Think Wotan with an attitude problem,” Dr. Fate said. “If Richard has encountered him, we could definitely use some help.”

Ville was suddenly present again. He produced a folded piece of paper from an inside jacket pocket and handed it to Dr. Fate.

“That has the name of someone who might be able to help you,” Roarke said.

Dr. Fate unfolded the slip of paper, looked at the name, and then handed the paper to Brian.

“Gee,” Brian said, after looking at the name. “I certainly hope Hong Kong is nice this time of year.”

Part 12

Professor Van Ish was still pacing when the Jacks-of-Hearts entered with the ex-prisoners. Immediately, the man fell to apologizing for the mistake, and begged for help.

“Why is this “Morgauth” attacking you?” Richard asked.

The professor grabbed Dr. Occult by the sleeve and pulled him toward the window. “I don’t know. Don’t know.”

The others followed and soon got their first look at Morgauth. It was a sight that none of them were prepared for.

Morgauth stood an easy thirty-feet tall. While his basic shape was bi-pedal, hundreds of tentacles seemed to be bursting forth from his chest and abdomen. Each tentacle was covered with elongated mouths filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth, and ended in barbed hooks dripping a caustic, black ichor. His head rested directly on his shoulders with no visible neck supporting it. It reminded those who saw it of melted wax, although it was filled with eyes of all shapes and sizes, capable of seeing every direction at once. Legs as thick as oaks carried the monster across the landscape in great strides, each one appearing to be covered in the same melted wax that made up Morgauth’s head. From top to bottom, the creature had no real color, only shades of mottled gray, like something from an old black-and-white movie. As it drew ever nearer to the castle, the multitude of mouths cried out in a disjointed chorus of high-pitched squeals.

“My God!” Kelli gasped, turning away from the sight and burying her face into T.J.’s shoulder. The young man wasn’t sure who was shaking worse, the girl or himself. After a moment she recovered her composure. She stepped out of his embrace, but did not let go of his arm.

Richard gently shook himself loose from the professor. “When did you first encounter this creature?” he asked.

The professor thought for a moment. “After the dog followed me here. The dog.”

Richard knew how long Robbie had been stuck here, so he pressed the professor to narrow down the timeframe of Morgauth’s first appearance.

“It was…after I couldn’t return to my dimension,” the professor said.

Everyone noticed that if he concentrated before he spoke, Professor Ish did not repeat himself.

“If Morgauth is intent on attacking,” Lazarus said, as he drew his recently recovered six-shooter, “let us see if he is prepared for our defenses.”

Standing sideways, the gunslinger raised his pistol and drew a bead on one of the monster’s eyes. As he gently squeezed the trigger, Richard felt the briefest hint mystic energy build then vanish as the bullet exploded from the barrel. An instant later, Morgauth’s many mouths screeched in pain as one of its eyes exploded.

For just a moment, Morgauth paused.

“Mirrors!” the professor shouted suddenly.

“What about the mirrors?” Richard asked.

“I think Morgauth wants me to open the mirrors.”

Not having heard Robbie’s story, T.J., Kelli, and Lazarus were a bit confused. Richard read their expressions and related the robot dog’s story to them.

Kelli said, “This Morgauth wants you to open these mirrors so it can escape to Earth.”

Van Ish nodded.

“We can’t let that happen,” T.J. said.

“No, we can’t,” Lazarus said, as he fired another successful shot at the creature. “The question is: what do we do to stop it?”

With the exception of Lazarus, all eyes turned to Richard.

“Keep Morgauth distracted, Mr. Lane,” Richard said. “I think I might have an idea.”

Part 13

One minute, they were bidding Mr. Roarke farewell, and the next, Brian and Dr. Fate were standing on the Nathan Road. Following the thoroughfare through Tsim Sha Tsui, the commercial center of Hong Kong’s Kowloon district, the two men proceeded, seemingly unnoticed by the general throng of people. Every few minutes, Brian would stop and allow himself to seek out the innate mystic energy that was attached to the slip of paper Roarke had given them.

“This way,” he said, pointing to a side street.

The streets became a veritable maze. Buildings, each indistinguishable from the one beside it, were a dull gray. Despite the uniformity, however, Brian continued unerringly towards their destination. After several minutes of walking, the two men arrived outside the gates of a small school. A small gong and mallet hung beside the gate in a small alcove.

Brian took the mallet and tapped the gong; seconds later, a small door built into the gate swung open. The two men stepped inside and were greeted by a young man barely out of his teens.

“You are here to see Master Lao Jen?” he asked.

Fate nodded. “Yes.”

The young man led the guests up the stone walk to a large building. The outside walls were gray plaster, and the roof was covered in half-circle terracotta tiles the color of the setting sun. A long covered porch dominated the front of the building. Along the wall, oak shutters were open to allow as much of the sun as possible to filter in. The young man led them through an open door.

Inside, the two visitors found them self in a large practice hall. Almost two dozen children, both boys and girls, ranging in ages from 5 up to 18, were lined up; each of them seemed to be frozen in place, some in what were apparently very uncomfortable positions. One of the children, a boy around the age of 11, suddenly began to sway. From the out of the shadows behind him, a small, old man stepped with a switch and struck the uncooperative leg twice. The boy fell, but did not cry out.

“The strength in your legs grows much slower than your ability to control your emotions,” the old man told the boy. To the rest of the children, he said, “This exercise is finished. Pair off and begin sparring.”

He then turned his attention to his visitors. As he approached, he spoke to their guide. “Lead the students in their sparring while I speak with our guests.”

“Welcome to my school,” the man said. “I am Master Lao Jen.”

Both Brian and Dr. Fate were caught off guard by the teacher’s appearance, although Fate’s helmet made concealing his surprise a lot easier.

Master Lao Jen stood right at 5 feet tall. He wore his long, white hair in a braid that fell down his back to his waist. His build was mostly concealed beneath a loose pair of white trousers and a green sweatshirt that bore the phrase “PARTY LIKE IT IS THE END OF THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT.” Black slippers and a pair of mirrored, octagonal sunglasses completed his outfit.

“Thank you for taking time to see us,” Dr. Fate said.

The teacher merely gave a slight nod of the head in response. “Would you care to join me in a cup of tea?” he asked.

“We would like that,” Brian replied.

Master Lao Jen led them across the practice hall and through a door. The three men walked down a long, narrow hallway. Along the walls were curtained openings that were where the students slept. At the end of the hall, they arrived at another door. The old man pushed open the door and stepped into the school’s dining quarters.

A short, slightly overweight woman quietly rushed around preparing the evening meal. At the appearance of her master, she retrieved a small kettle from where it hung over the fire-without the aid of a potholder. Brian noticed-and approached a low table. As the men seated themselves on low stools, she poured three cups of tea.

“You come seeking knowledge concerning the mirrors,” the man said, to his guests.

Dr. Fate removed his helmet and took a sip of tea. “I take it that Mr. Roarke has contacted you?”

Loa Jen smiled. “I sensed the calamity. Even though our mission is generally of little consequence to this world’s master wizards, I knew that such an occurrence would soon draw your attention.”

“We have reasons to believe that our friends are in danger,” Brian said. “The damage at Mr. Roarke’s had made it impossible for us to reach them. We were hoping that you could help.”

The man looked at the detective. For a brief second, Brian thought he saw something reflected in the master’s glasses.

“I can provide you with passage through the mirrors if it is your intent to seek your friends.”

“It is,” Dr. Fate assured Master Loa Jen.

“You must know this, then,” the master said. “Although our rolls are essentially the same, each of the guardians access different worlds beyond the mirrors, and for different reasons.

“My roll has been to track down demons and return them to the hells that spawned them.” He glanced at Brian. “You noticed the reflections in my glasses. Your eyes did not deceive you. What you saw was, indeed, demons that I have trapped. Few demons suspect that the glasses of a blind man are actually the portal to their private hell. Rather than send them back to their places of origin, they are trapped right here,” he tapped his glasses, “and I draw upon their power to retain my sight.”

“If you only access Hell,” Brian asked, “then how can you send us to find our friends?”

Master Lao Jen shook his head. “You listen, you hear, but you do not understand. I said “hells”, not “Hell.” You must journey through the underworld to seek your friends.”

“Once we enter the underworld,” Dr. Fate asked, “how will we find our friends?”

“You must find the Repentant One,” the master said. “He will open the portal you seek.”

“Then, perhaps, we should be on our way,” Fate said.

“And let good tea go to waste?” Loa Jen asked. “Trust me when I say that a few more minutes will not make a difference.”

This whole situation was starting to make Brian nervous. True, he was traveling with Dr. Fate, one of the most powerful members of the Justice Society, but he still couldn’t shake the doubt that things were still going very wrong.

Part 14

“Tell me, Professor,” Dr. Occult said, “what gives you the ability to travel through the mirrors?”

“I originally used a device to produce Z-rays, which allowed me to use mirrors as portals to this world. Over the years, exposure to the rays has brought about a mutation that now allows me to open the portals without them.”

“But, for some reason, you weren’t able to return to your own world,” Occult added.

“Exactly.”

“And you say that this Morgauth appeared shortly after you became trapped in this dimension.”

“Yes,” the professor replied.

“Somehow,” Richard said, “Morgauth did not remain in his original dimension after the Crisis. When this dimension and the one originally attached to our world switched places, this monster managed to remain where he was and let the new dimension form around him.”

“Or,” T.J. said, “it could have been somewhere else and just returned here afterwards.”

Dr. Occult looked at his young friend. “That is also possible.”

“And when it sensed me accessing a mirror passage to your earth,” Van Ish added, “it was drawn here. Of course, I should have realized that.”

“Obviously, we can’t permit it to be turned loose on Earth,” Lazarus said, firing another successful shot at the monster.

“And we can’t leave it here, either,” Kelli said.

“Professor,” Richard said, returning his attention to Van Ish. “Can you open a mirror to any other dimensions besides Earth?”

“Theoretically, it is possible,” the professor said. “Do you have somewhere particular in mind?”

“Not yet,” Richard confessed. “However, I do have an idea. If we can find a suitable place, I might be able to use my magic to make it appear to be Earth.”

“And then we can lure Morgauth into that dimension where it can’t cause any harm,” Kelli said, realizing where Occult was going with his plan.

“How will we know which dimension to send it into?” T.J. asked.

“If the professor can travel through the mirror,” Dr. Occult said, “then, I’m betting he has the ability to see what’s on the other side before he makes the trip.”

“I am certainly willing to try,” Van Ish said.

Part 15

Brian and Dr. Fate stood in front of a large octagonal mirror. Loa Jen had asked them to wait there until he returned. As he stared into the mirror, Brian’s own mystical abilities, as minor as they were, were allowing him fleeting glimpses into the world beyond. What he saw didn’t make him feel any better about the journey.

“Here you go,” said the reflection of the old master.

Brian turned around as Loa Jen handed Fate a basket. The basket was about two feet tall, but only about eight inches deep from front to back. Leather shoulder straps were attached to it so that it could be worn like a backpack.

“You will need this on your journey through the underworld,” Loa Jen told them. “It contains a couple million in Hell notes.”

“Hell notes?” Brian asked, as he accepted the basket from Fate and put it on.

“It is the money of the underworld,” Loa Jen explained. “Almost everyone in the underworld can be bribed. With some, all you need is clever words, but most will prefer the notes.”

“What about the Repentant One?” Dr. Fate asked. “Will he require bribing?”

“No, he won’t,” the old man said. “And if you are fortunate enough to meet Kao Chien-Li, know that he, too, will aid you without requiring recompense.”

“Thank you for your assistance,” Dr. Fate said, bowing to Loa Jen.

“And for the tea,” Brian added, also bowing.

“Perhaps there is hope for the West, after all,” Loa Jen said, with a grin. “Now, if you are ready, step through the mirror.”

Instantly, the two men were standing on a cut stone path just outside an archway. Stretching out infinitely on either side of the opening, a great stone wall towered twenty feet into the unnatural gray sky.

“Move along, travelers,” a guttural voice said.

They turned and saw a suit of empty obsidian armor pointing towards the arch with a silver-tipped spear. Dr. Fate nodded, and the two men entered what they quickly discovered to be a labyrinth. When they looked back, the opening was already gone.

Part 16

Dr. Fate looked at the three possible directions they could take, shrugged, and then started up the middle path. He stopped and looked back when he realized that Brian wasn’t beside him. The detective had his eyes closed and was holding the sides of his head.

“Are you OK?” Fate asked, as he returned to the man’s side.

“I’m just trying to focus,” Brian replied. “If I can sort through the negative energy this place has, I might be able to find the shortest path to the Repentant One. Surely a being of good would stick out like a sore thumb in Hell.”

“Good thinking,” Fate said. Rex had told him about the detective during his short time with Dr. Occult’s new team after their first mission together. He seemed impressed by what he had seen and heard.

“Well, that’s a surprise,” Brian said.

“What?”

“I’ve found three bright spots in this dismal place,” the detective said.

“Then, lead on,” Fate told him. “After all, you’re the one they call “Tracker”, not me.”

“This way,” Brian replied. He started off down the path to the left.

It didn’t take long for the two men to realize what Loa Jen meant when he said that a few minutes wouldn’t matter. Thanks to their mystical affinities, they both could sense that time here was completely different than what it was on Earth.

They had only been walking for about an hour, as they judged time, when Brian put his hand on Fate’s shoulder. “Wait a second.”

“Have you lost the trail?” Fate asked.

“No,” Brian assured him. “I am sensing a large build-up of negative energy two, maybe three, turns ahead of us.”

“Let me take the lead,” Dr. Fate said, as he stepped past his companion.

Sure enough, after three turns on the path they must take, the two travelers found themselves facing six bandits. To both men, those who blocked their way seemed to be little more than undernourished demons in Chinese peasant rags.

“Begone from our path,” Dr. Fate told them, his voice projecting more authority than what Brian had heard since he had been in the man’s company.

“Not until you return what you have taken from the Treasury,” one of the demons hissed.

“We have taken nothing, demon,” Fate replied. “Let us pass.”

“We could try bribing them,” Brian suggested.

“Bah,” Fate said. “These malcontents would demand much more than they could ever be worth.”

“Give us the amulet you wear,” one of the demons said, “and we won’t flay the flesh from your bones.”

“Flay this,” Dr. Fate said, flinging hands out to his side. The space between his palms began to fill with arcane energy.

The demons realized, too late, that what they faced was more than just a wayward wraith.

“I said BEGONE.”

The power of Order’s magic seared away the layers of the demons’ existences before Brian realized what was happening. When, at last, he spoke, it was in an awed whisper.

“When you say “begone”, you really mean begone.”

Dr. Fate looked at Brian, and, somehow, the detective knew that there was a grin beneath the helmet.

“Let’s continue,” Fate said, “shall we?”

Brian returned the smile and nodded. “Let’s,” was all he said.

Part 17

“We’ve been at this for over an hour,” T.J. said. “Are we any closer to finding someplace where we can send this monster?”

“For years,” Professor Ish said, “I have used my powers to steal. During all that time, before this Crisis event occurred, I never took an innocent life. That’s one thing I tried to avoid. On my world, most of us held life in high regards. That is why that, now, I will not willing send Morgauth to a world where innocents run the risk of being killed.”

“I understand that,” T.J. replied, “but it doesn’t answer my question.”

“No,” Richard said, “we’re not.”

The young man started to say something, when he felt a touch on his arm. He glanced over and saw that Kelli had come up beside him. She kept her hand on his forearm.

“Lazarus said that Morgauth seems to have decided to back off for the moment,” the girl said. “Apparently, he has done enough damage to the creature to make it think twice about continuing its attack.”

“Good,” Richard said. “That should…”

“I think I found a place,” the professor said.

The others gathered around the full-length mirror that Van Ish was peering into.

“I haven’t seen anyone, or anything, moving around so far,” he said, “but I’d still like to be sure before we send Morgauth through.”

“I agree,” Occult said.

“If you want,” T.J. offered, “I can go through first and scout around.”

Dr. Occult held up a finger. “Hold that thought. Professor, what can you tell us about this dimension you’ve found?”

“The air is breathable, and the gravity is very similar to here.” He looked at Richard. “Basically, it is habitable.”

“That’s good enough for me,” T.J. said.

“Me, too.”

Everyone turned to see Robbie enter the room

“I’d like to accompany the boy,” the robotic dog said. “After all of the time I’ve been cooped up in that dungeon, I definitely need some wide open spaces.”

“All right,” Richard said. “Professor, where can we get some supplies for these two?”

Van Ish glanced over at the guard next to the door, an Eight of Diamonds, and motioned it over. “Take this young man to the kitchens, and tell the cook to prepare him some victuals for his journey.”

“I’ll come too,” Kelli said, following T.J. and the Eight of Diamonds out the door.

As the trio walked through the halls toward the kitchen, the playing card offered a few words of advice. “When we get to the kitchen, you must not take anything until the cook offers it. Also, don’t touch anything unless the cook tells you to.” Less than a minute later, they were entering the kitchen.

“The master wishes for you to prepare enough food for this one for a journey,” the Eight said.

The cook turned to face the invaders of its territory. Kelli and T.J. were surprised to find themselves face to face with a large, almost cartoony, purple octopus. So surprised, in fact, that both of their mouths hung open wide.

“Oh, yes,” the Eight said, as it turned back to face them, “there’s one more thing.”

“And that would be what?” T.J. asked.

“Don’t stare.”

Part 18

With Brian in the lead, the two men continued on through the twists and turns of the labyrinthine Hell. At one of the intersections, the detective paused long enough to determine the direction before starting off again.

“Dr. Fate?” Brian asked, as they started up a low rise.

“Yes?”

“I’m starting to have feelings of hopelessness,” Brian said. “By focusing on our destination, I’ve been able to keep the feeling subdued, but I’m afraid they will grow stronger the longer we’re here.”

“Then we should probably keep moving.”

The two men hadn’t gone too far before they came upon a bridge guarded by more demons. Unlike those of their previous encounter, these creatures were dressed much better. Three wore light green bamboo armor and carried spears, while the fourth was dressed in more scholarly robes. A large set of scales was set beside the road between the travelers and the bridge.

“What do we do now?” Brian asked.

“I believe they expect us to sit on the scales,” Fate said. “I’m sure the one on the robes will tell us what we need to do.”

They drew nearer and the guards stepped out into the road to block their path.

“You,” the scholar said, pointing to Brian. “Get on the scales.”

Brian glanced at Dr. Fate, who responded with a slight nod. “What is the purpose of these scales?” Brian asked as he handed the basket to his companion and approached the scales. “The bridge looks sturdy enough to hold both of us plus a dozen more.”

“It is your righteousness that we weigh,” the scholar said, “not your body.”

From behind his helmet, Dr. Fate saw the three guards trade wicked grins. As Brian climbed onto the scales, the older hero whispered words of an ancient spell.

Placing his full weight on the scales, Brian was only slightly less surprised than the demons when the large disc upon which he sat rose instead of sinking. The reactions of the guards confirmed Dr. Fate’s suspicions.

The scales were rigged.

Brian was removed from the scales and directed to stand off to the side. He took the basket from Dr. Fate.

Fate repeated the spell he had cast on Brian, this time directing the results toward himself. When the results were the same as before, the guards were furious.

“You have seen our righteousness,” Dr. Fate told the scholar. “Let us be on our way.”

Before the scholarly demon could reply, one of the guards stepped forward, his weapon raised. “You cheated,” it growled.

“No more than you,” Dr. Fate replied. “Again, let us be on our way.”

The guards leaped forward and thrust their spears at the two men. Fate threw up a shield of golden energy that emitted a shower of mystical sparks when his enemy’s weapons struck it.

“Brian,” he said, “stay behind me.”

“I’ve got an idea,” the detective replied. “Just keep the guards busy and off my back.”

Dr. Fate knew that he could dispatch his foes pretty easily, but he was curious to see what his companion had in mind. It would be a good time to see exactly what this next generation hero was capable of.

The detective charged the scholarly demon.

In response, the scholar gave way to his more demonic side. He took a swipe at the human with his lengthening claws.

Brian ducked beneath the attack and countered the demon’s move. Before the creature knew what had happened, the human was behind him and had him in a headlock. Despite his leverage, Brian knew that the taller creature would, eventually, be able to free himself. He brought his legs up around the demon’s waist and began to exert pressure on his foe’s neck.

“Stop!” he yelled to the guards.

Their bloodlust drained away to uncertainty as they looked from the man in blue and gold to the human who had captured the scholar. The odd look they saw in the robed demon’s eyes was enough to cause them to back away. It was a look they had seen many times before, but, usually, it was in the eyes of those the rigged scales showed to be unrighteous; it was the look of fear.

“We are going to cross this bridge,” Brian told the demons. “And from now on, I would suggest that you let the scale do its job without your help.”

The scholar nodded (as best as it could, given its current predicament). The guards stepped away from Dr. Fate, and Brian forced his captive’s head toward the foot of the bridge. Like a stubborn, but hopelessly dominated horse, the demon did as it was forced.

With one hand outstretched toward the guards, and the other pointed toward the scholar, Dr. Fate was prepared to defend Brian and himself when the demons turned on them.

At the foot of the bridge, Brian untangled his legs from around the scholar’s waist. Sensing that the demon was tensing up to do something once it was released, the moment his feet touched the ground, Brian brought his knee up sharply into the creature’s tailbone.

As the demon brought both of his clawed hands back to the offended area, Brian pushed it away and joined Fate on the bridge. An instant later, the spears the guards were holding began to glow causing the startled demons to toss them to the ground.

The two humans rushed across the bridge, quickly putting space between themselves and the demons. After several minutes, they stopped so that Brian could try to regain the trail they were following.

“Interesting move you made back there,” Fate said. “It looks like you really know how to handle yourself in a fight. I think Wildcat will get a kick out of it when I tell him what you did.”

“Charleston is a military town,” Brian said. “For the most part, they are a great bunch of men and women, but every once and a while, a couple of them will get to drinking-their combat training makes them dangerous drunks. Occasionally, we have had to deal with them while waiting on the MPs; I decided that if I knew a little of what they knew, it might keep me in one piece.”

“After seeing you in action,” Fate told the detective, “I have no doubts that you came out on top of most situations.”

“My fair share,” Brian replied.

Part 19

Kelli and T.J. quickly shut their mouths and tried to look anywhere but at the cook. The young woman took notice of the many herbs hanging from the rafters, while the young man turned his attention to a large kettle with a slightly askew lid. T.J. jumped when he felt the tip of one of the cook’s rubbery tentacles caress his cheek.

“Ignore that crazy Eight,” the octopus said. “He thinks he is humorous.”

T.J. would have never believed it if someone had described them, but the cook’s words actually sounded like the gentle popping of bubbles.

“Still,” Kelli said, “we shouldn’t have stared. It was very rude of us.”

“Think nothing of it,” said the octopus. “Now,” she said, turning her attention back to T.J., “what would you like to take with you to eat?”

“I, uh, I haven’t really given it much thought,” the young man replied.

A tentacle came up and began to rub a spot beneath the octopus’ mouth where a chin would be. After a moment of thought, she raised another tentacle and an expression of discovery brightened her purple face.

“Do you like gingerbread men?” the cook asked.

“I guess.”

“Either you do, or you don’t,” the cook teased him.

“OK,” T.J. said, “I do.”

Two tentacles went into the octopus’ mouth and she made three short, shrill whistles. Seconds later, a 4-inch tall gingerbread man came walking in from the pantry.

Both T.J. and Kelli were astonished at its arrival.

The octopus wrapped a tentacle around the gingerbread man’s waist and used a second one to pull arm off and pop it into her mouth.

The gingerbread man’s icing face changed to one of horror and a high-pitched squeal escaped its icing lips. It fell backwards and began to flop back and forth, scattering crumbs everywhere.

The two humans were horrified.

“Stop that,” the octopus said, her brow furrowed in mock anger.

Instantly, the gingerbread man was on his feet, all signs of discomfort gone.

The cook looked at her two guests. “They seem to think that is funny. Actually biting into one causes the gingerbread men no pain. I think they just act like that because of all the sugar.”

The Eight snickered. “Sounds like a case of Sugar Shock,” he said.

Somewhat recovered from what he had seen, T.J. looked at the octopus. “I think I’ll pass on the gingerbread men.”

“How about we just stick to breads, cheeses, jerky, and water?” the cook asked.

“Maybe some apples?” Kelli asked, and T.J. nodded.

“Give me a few minutes,” the octopus said, and immediately went to work gathering T.J.’s foodstuff. Tentacles began to move with precision, gathering and cutting and wrapping and packing everything the young man would need for his journey.

“Are you going with him?” the cook asked Kelli.

“No,” answered Kelli. “The robot dog has volunteered to go with him.”

“Robot dog…robot dog…I don’t believe I have anything to feed a robot dog,” the cook said. She then turned to the Eight. “What’s a robot dog?”

“It is that automaton that followed the master back, the one that has been living in the dungeon for the past several years,” the Eight told her.

“Oh,” the octopus said, with a shrug. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Kelli could see that this conversation had the potential to go on far longer than they had time to spare, so she intervened. “The robot dog doesn’t require any food.”

“Thank you, dearie,” the octopus said, “for clearing that up for me.”

“You’re welcome.”

Once again, the octopus turned her attention back to T.J.; she was reaching him a basket full of food. “You take care of yourself on your journey.”

“I will, Ma’am,” he replied. “Thank you for the food.”

When she started to turn back towards her cooking, the octopus noticed the gingerbread man still standing there. “Would you please clean up those crumbs and then get back in the pantry?”

As T.J., Kelli, and the Eight left, they heard the gingerbread man’s answer. “How can I clean it up, you great purple gob? You ate my good arm.”

“Good arm?” the octopus said. “My dear little gingerbread man; it wasn’t just good, it was delicious.”

Part 20

“I was just thinking,” Brian said, as he and Dr. Fate walked.

“About the Hell notes?” Fate asked.

“I thought I was the detective,” Brian replied.

“After forty odd years of doing this, I’ve picked up a few tricks from my teammates,” the older hero said. “I’ve noticed that you have been shifting the basket around for the past several minutes. What about the notes?”

“I thought we were given these things to use as bribes,” Brian said, “and yet, we’ve not even thought about using them for the purpose intended.”

“The encounters we’ve had so far have been trivial,” Fate said. “If I’ve learned anything over the years, it is that you need more assistance at the end of the adventure than you do at the first of it. Personally, I would prefer not to use them at all, but if we find ourselves in a situation that we can’t talk or fight our way out of, then we will have the bribes to fall back on.”

Brian couldn’t deny the logic of his friend’s reasoning, so he simply nodded and continued to follow the mystic trail.

After walking for what seemed to be a couple of hours, they found themselves at the edge of a small village. At first, the place appeared to be deserted, its emptiness adding to the general hopelessness of this dimension.

Brian slowed up until Fate was walking beside him. “I get the feeling that we aren’t the only ones here,” he said.

“One of the advantages of wearing a full helmet,” Dr. Fate replied. “My darting eyes have been less conspicuous than your own. I’ve noticed several shutters crack open ever so slightly. I haven’t seen our observers, but I can confirm your suspicions. I get the feeling that something is about to happen, so stay alert.”

As if on cue, a howl broke the stillness.

Fate was the first to hear the rapid slap of rough paws on packed earth, but only by a second. The two men watched as dozens of large, deep-crimson dogs blocked all streets save one, the one upon which they had arrived.

“Any idea what’s going on?” Brian asked.

“Not really,” Dr. Fate replied. “Just be ready for anything.”

The detective nodded and stepped so that he and the hero were back to back. The two men began to move in a slow, tight circle. They were somewhat surprised when only one dog attacked.

The beast charged the two and, less than a dozen paces away, leaped at them. It came from a side street, attempting to catch them off guard.

Neither man was taken by surprise, however, and ducked beneath the assault. As the creature passed overhead, Fate’s gloved hand shot up and a golden ankh appeared in the dog’s path. It passed through the arcane symbol and howled for just a second before exploding in a shower of mystic ash.

“Not what I expected,” Brian said, as he and Fate continued to circle back to back. “A lone attack, I mean.”

Before his companion could respond, a second dog charged the duo. Unlike its predecessor, however, it leapt with the intention of knocking both men down.

The two men quickly separated, allowing the beast to pass between them. Brian brought his elbow down, catching the canine just behind the neck; Fate also brought his elbow down and connected with its spine. With the added force of his superhuman strength, he felt the spine snap. The dog dropped and rolled several feet before lying very still on the dust.

The interval between the third dog’s attack and the second one’s attack was shorter than the one between the first and second dogs’ attacks. This time, the attack came straight at Brian. Holding himself in check until the last possible second, the detective threw a punch that connected with the animal’s throat. The animal slammed into him, knocking him back against Dr. Fate before it dropped to the ground. Aside from getting the breath knocked from him, Brian suffered a laceration on his cheek from the dog’s paw. Ignoring the pain, he quickly dropped down on the dog, letting his momentum deliver a devastating blow, once again, to the creature’s throat. It shuddered for a moment, then became still.

From that point on, the attacks came quicker, until the two men were doing their best to fight off the entire pack. Their clothes were quickly being shredded, and bloody scratches decorated their exposed skin. Fortunately, they had been successful in their attempts to protect their throats from the ripping jaws of the animals.

“We’ve got to do something,” Brian shouted, above the howls. “We can’t last much longer.”

“I’m trying an incantation,” Fate replied, “but something is making it hard to grasp the magic. I suspect the sheer number of these creatures is causing the interference.”

Brian let his body take over defending itself and began to concentrate on the magic around him. He pictured himself standing in a river of magic, then allowed his perception to expand. He could sense Fate’s nearness, but not in the magic. Within his mind, it appeared that while he was in the river, his companion was on the shore, reaching towards the magic like a man dying of thirst. Slowly, fighting the current with every step, Brian began to make his way towards the shore. Drawing nearer to his friend, he bent down and scooped up a handful of the magic. It wasn’t much, but when it splashed against the hero, it allowed him to push against the force that kept him separated from the river. Brian repeated the action several more times, each time allowing Fate to draw closer. He was preparing to throw yet again when his concentration was broken by one of the dogs’ sharp teeth of sinking into his arm.

Brian screamed in pain and began to drive his fist into the dog’s face. He had landed nearly a dozen punches when the animal exploded in a shower of mystic ash. He felt Dr. Fate’s hand on his shoulder and, looking around, saw that all of their attackers were gone.

“Quick thinking,” the older man said.

“Occult once told me that I had to control the flow of magic around me to be able to follow where it lead me,” Brian said, cradling his arm, “so I figured that if I could control its flow around me, I might try to redirect it.”

“Let’s see about that arm, then leave this place,” Dr. Fate suggested.

Brian looked around, then nodded. “I think I’d rather leave first, then worry about the arm.”

Dr. Fate picked up the basket of Hell notes, which had fallen sometime during the fight, and, holding it by the straps, motioned for Brian to take the lead. Still cradling his arm, the detective started walking, glad to be putting this village behind them.

Part 21

By the time T.J. and Kelli returned to Professor Van Ish’s mirror room, Richard and the professor were finalizing the plans for the young man’s trip. Dr. Occult looked up as they entered.

“Have you seen any signs of life?” T.J. asked, as he approached the two men.

“Still nothing,” Richard answered, “but we did make an interesting discovery.”

“What is it?” Kelli asked.

“In the time it took the two of you to go to the kitchen, gather the food, and return, two days have passed on our possible world,” Richard said.

Kelli couldn’t believe her ears. “But, we’ve only been gone for an hour.”

Van Ish shrugged. “The passage of time sometimes varies from dimension to dimension.”

T.J. looked at the basket of food. “If time is that much faster there, is this going to be enough for me and the dog?”

“For your information,” Robbie spoke up, “the “dog” has a name. And besides that, I don’t need to eat anyway.”

“Sorry, Robbie,” T.J. apologized. “With everything going on around here, you seem to be fairly normal. I’ll try not to let it happen again.”

“Good enough,” the robot dog replied.

At that moment, a King of Spades came marching through the door. “I say,” it said, in an absurdly thick British accent. “That gunslinger chap is requesting some assistance. It appears that that Morgauth cretin is advancing again.”

Everyone turned and started towards the door.

“Not you,” Richard said, putting a hand on T.J.’s shoulder. “You and Robbie should get going. If you see any signs of life, hurry back here and we’ll see if we can find somewhere else.”

“Exactly how will we get back here?” Robbie asked.

The professor slapped his forehead lightly, then turned to face his former captive. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small mirror. He handed it to T.J.

“Surely, you don’t expect us to pass through a mirror this small,” the young man said.

“Why not?” Van Ish asked, then he grinned. “Actually, think of this as more of a radio. When you are ready to return, look into the mirror and call my name.”

Richard saw relief in his friend’s face.

“Well, Robbie,” T.J. said, “are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Whenever you are ready,” the professor said, “all you have to do is step through.”

The two explorers approached the full-length mirror. T.J. took a deep breath, then took a step. In an instant, he and Robbie were somewhere else.

Part 22

It wasn’t until they were well away from the village and positive there was no pursuit that Brian and Dr. Fate stopped to examine the detective’s wounds. His cheek had already quit bleeding, but his arm had not.

“Before we bind your wounds,” Fate said, “I want to make certain that they have not been infected by something other than what you would expect from a normal dog bite.”

“That’s fine,” Brian replied. “I’ve had shots before, but I doubt they would protect me from something like this.”

A soft echo from beneath Fate’s helmet let the detective know that his friend had begun speaking an incantation. As soon as the words were spoken, Brian felt a tingling in his arm-and a burning in his cheek. He grunted and raised his hand up to the laceration.

“Your arm is clean, so I have jump started the healing process,” Dr. Fate said.

Brian looked down and saw that, other than the blood soaked into his ragged sleeve, there was no indication that anything had happened.

“What about my cheek?” Brian asked.

“It has quit bleeding, but it resists my attempts to close the wound.”

The detective gingerly touched the flesh around the wound and winced. “As long as it isn’t bleeding, and since you are prevented from doing anything else to heal it, we might as well keep moving. Give me a moment to see if I can pick up the trail again.”

It wasn’t long before the two men were on their way again. As they walked, the older hero made several inquiries about the younger man’s cheek. That in itself got Brian wondering if there was something more his companion wasn’t telling him.

After walking for what seemed like forever, Brian stopped and motioned for Dr. Fate to do the same. “I sense another build up of negative energy,” he said. “It’s not too far ahead.”

Fate took a step when Brian touched his arm. “Wait a second,” the detective said. “I just got a flash of positive energy not too far beyond the negative.”

“Then perhaps we are closer to finding this Repentant One than we hoped to be,” Fate said.

Remembering their last encounter, the two men proceeded with caution towards the gathering of negative energy. They didn’t have far to go.

As they rounded a bend in the road, they discovered that it came to a stop at the edge of a deep precipice. Stretching across the precipice was a single rope, and guarding it was a group of armored demons similar to the first ones they had encountered. They watched and listened for a moment as a wandering spirit approached the demons.

“What do you seek here?” the largest, and most cruel looking, demon asked, with a growl.

“A way across the chasm,” the spirit replied, softly.

A look from the speaker was all it took for the others to step back so the spirit could see the rope. Their grins were wicked, and their eyes twinkled with malicious delight.

The spirit stepped towards the rope, then turned towards the demon. “How is it possible to cross such an expanse with a single rope?”

“If you are righteous, then you should have no problems,” the demon growled.

Knowing it would get no better answer, the spirit placed its foot on the rope. “It is bigger than it first appeared,” the spirit said to itself, somewhat relieved.

Before the spirit had a chance to take a second step, one of the demons placed a clawed hand against the spirit’s back and gave a rough shove.

The spirit stumbled several paces out on the rope, but managed to keep its balance. It breathed a sigh of relief over that small accomplishment-then it looked down. The rope was suddenly a lot thinner than it had been. Feeling itself start to fall, the spirit let itself drop and wrapped its arms and legs around the shrinking rope.

Roars of laughter erupted from the lips of the demons as they knelt and began to shake the rope.

Brian and Dr. Fate watched as the spirit teetered, shifted to the left slightly, then found itself hanging beneath the rope. Keeping its ankles locked, it began to pull itself along the rope, despite the fact that the demons had redoubled their efforts to shake it off.

Tilting its head back so it could see the other side, the spirit began to wail. No matter how far it moved along the rope, the chasm seemed to grow wider with each second. Squeezing its eyes shut, the spirit continued inching its way forward.

Without warning, the rope began to swing violently. The spirit quit moving and clung on for its existence. Horror and hopelessness began to overwhelm the poor soul as the rope began to ooze, and become covered by, a thin layer of slime. The spirit tried to dig its fingernails into the rope to keep its hands from slipping off, but to no avail. It soon found itself hanging upside down over the chasm, supported only by its crossed ankles.

Hundreds of feet below, the brackish water began to roil and froth as dozens of monstrous serpents fought for position beneath the struggling spirit. Their black and gray mottled bodies coiled over and around each other, in anticipation of a meal.

At the edge of the precipice, the demons began to inhale, and then blow at the struggling spirit. A violent wind arose and began to surround the rope. Rain that was more grease than water began to fall on the spirit as a powerful downdraft seemed to grip the spirit and tug.

The spirit screamed as its ankles finally surrendered to the punishment and it plunged into the chasm. The scream seemed to go on forever, only to be cut abruptly short when two serpents erupted from the water, each latching onto an end of the spirit. Their mouths were barely inches apart, giving the appearance of lovers embraced in a passionate kiss, as they each fought to claim the broken spirit for themselves. As the body was ripped asunder, the two serpents, along with the dozens of other, slid back beneath the water, which became immediately still.

The two travelers looked at each other. Based on the way Dr. Fate’s shoulders slumped, Brian knew that the man’s hidden face showed the same doubt that now decorated his own.

Part 23

“We should have helped that spirit,” Brian whispered, as the two men backed around the curve and just out of sight of the demons.

“You don’t know how badly I longed to,” Dr. Fate replied, “but, to do so would have disrupted the order of things here. Since we are still living, breathing beings, we have the right to defend ourselves to stay that way, even though we don’t truly belong here.”

“And since this is part of that spirit’s journey to pass on,” Brain said, nodding in realization, “this is part of what it had to endure.”

“Exactly,” Fate said. “It irks me to stand by and do nothing, but to have acted in this situation could have caused us some serious repercussions.”

Before either man had a chance to speak further, the sound of the demon’s laughter reached their ears. Moving back to where they could see, the two men were amazed to see the “doomed” spirit reappearing on the other side of the chasm, apparently none the worse for wear.

The demons’ laughter came to an abrupt end when the sounds of an expertly played lute reached their ears and a two-wheeled wagon appeared on the road near the spirit. They seemed unconcerned with the fact that no animal was harnessed to the wagon; it was the driver of the wagon that seemed to annoy them.

“Begone, Blind Man,” one of the demons called out. “You have no business here.”

The spirit looked up at the man, hoping that the demons were wrong and that the man was, indeed, here for him. The spirit looked crest-fallen when the man’s milky-white eyes looked into its own and he shook his head.

“Your path lies back the way I came,” the man spoke. “May your steps be encouraged, however, for your destination is but a short journey from here.”

The spirit bowed to the man. “Thank you, Master Kao.” As it started off, the spirit paused just long enough to give the demons a rude gesture as a sign of its contempt for their torments of it.

The demons laughed.

Their laughter, however, was short lived, and the demons quickly turned their attention back to the blind man. “We told you to begone,” one of the demons said. “There are no other spirits here for you to aid.”

Although the man’s reply was spoken barely above a whisper, Brian and Dr. Fate were able to hear what he said as though he were standing right beside them.

“I am here for two who still reside among the living.” With that announcement, the man began to play upon his lute again as his wagon began to roll towards the chasm.

The moment the wheels touched the edge of the precipice, a bridge appeared across the chasm. Wide enough for two wagons twice the size of the one that was now crossing it, the gold and jade bridge gleamed even in the paleness of this hell.

Unsure of what was going to happen next, the two heroes remained out of sight. The demons began to back away as the wagon drew closer to their side of the chasm. When the wagon cleared the bridge, it faded from view, as though it had never been.

Turning his head toward the road, the man pointed to the hiding place of Brian and Dr. Fate and motioned for them to approach. When the demons noticed the two men, they began to howl.

“You cannot interfere!” one screamed. “They must cross the thread to prove their righteousness.”

The blind man looked hard at the demon. “You well know that my appearance here to meet them attests to their righteousness. Trouble them not lest Mrs. Meng hear of your transgressions.”

The two men weren’t sure who this “Mrs. Meng” was, but at the mention of her name, the demons were cowed enough that they felt safe enough to approach the wagon. Although the demons snarled at them, they made no move to attack.

By the time they had reached the wagon, the man had turned it around. They boarded it without incident, and were soon crossing the bridge.

It wasn’t until they were safely on the other side that the blind man spoke. “I am Kao Chien-Li.”

“Thank you for your assistance,” Dr. Fate said. “I am…”

Kao Chien-Li spoke up. “The man called Fate. Yes, I know. Just as I know that your companion is called Brian.”

“You seemed to be expecting us,” Brian said.

“I was.” In anticipation of their next question, he went on to explain how. “My descendant, Lao Jen, contacted me and told me of your mission.”

“I couldn’t help but notice,” Brian said, “that the demons seemed terrified of this Mrs. Meng you mentioned. Why is that?”

“Because Mrs. Meng is a very fearsome person,” Kao replied.

“Then I’m glad we met you on our journey and not her,” Brian said.

Kao Chien-Li chuckled. “Foolish child. Where do you think I’m taking you?”

Part 24

The moment he stepped through the mirror, T.J. vanished. Robbie cocked his head to the left and focused his companion.

“What’s wrong?” the young man asked.

“My sensors are having trouble keeping you in focus,” the robot dog replied.

T.J. started to say something, then grinned to himself. “I think I know what the problem is,” he said. Reaching up, he pulled his hood back.

“Much better,” Robbie said. “What did you do?”

“I still had my hood on,” T.J. told him. “While I’m wearing it, it makes me invisible. Coming here must mean that things are no longer reversed like they were in the professor’s realm.”

That seemed to satisfy the dog because he said nothing else.

“So,” T.J. asked, “do you have any suggestions as to which direction we should go in?”

Robbie glanced around. “It seems to me that one direction is as good as another. My sensors aren’t picking anything up around here except for us.”

As T.J. tried to decide which direction they should go, he took the opportunity to get his first real look at this new dimension. It reminded him of pictures he had seen in International Geography of Outer Mongolia, except harsher.

Although the land was not flat, it seemed to stretch out for miles in every direction before reaching the horizon. Sharp, jagged rocks that appeared to be a cross between onyx and lava, some of which were several feet tall, stabbed up through the lifeless dirt. Small bushes of thorny sage dotted the landscape. Overhead, an azure sun cast light, but little warmth, over the expanse.

With a shrug, T.J. faced away from where they had exited the mirror and began walking. Robbie trotted just enough to fall into step beside him.

“Do you have any idea which way we are going?” the young man asked after an hour of walking.

“Things here still aren’t completely in line with Earth,” Robbie said, “but, according to the navigational system Bob installed, it appears we are heading north. I’m also detecting a gradual drop in temperature.”

T.J. adjusted the food pack, then brought his hands up to his mouth to blow warm air on them. “I guess I should have asked about the temperature before we left. Fortunately, the tunic is warmer than it looks.”

The pair walked at a leisurely pace for a few more hours. The azure sun began to drop closer to the horizon, casting long, cold shadows across the landscape.

Robbie looked up at T.J. “The temperature has dropped several degrees in the past hour. Perhaps we should find a place for you to rest.”

“Sounds good to me,” T.J. replied.

In the distance, a particularly large outcropping of jagged rocks was rising up out of the scenery. Without a word, the two travelers made a slight change in direction and headed towards the outcropping. It took another hour to reach their destination.

“It looks like a good place to stop for the night,” T.J. said, after seeing an opening between two of the rocks. Slipping between them, he was relieved to see a relatively bare patch of ground.

“How are you doing?” Robbie asked.

“I’ve got to admit, it is getting a bit chilly,” T.J. replied. He dropped the food pack, then left the confines of the rocks and began to search for some of the small bushes he had seen scattered about. “I’m going to gather some wood.”

“Get enough for two fires,” Robbie said.

“Two?”

“One to keep you warm all night, and the other to put at the opening,” Robbie said. “Since I don’t sleep, and I’m not planning on wandering off, I can keep them both going.”

T.J. nodded. “Thanks. I really appreciate that.”

The young man gathered as much wood from the odd sage bushes as he could find, careful to avoid the long thorns that grew on the branches. It was only after he had gathered what Robbie deemed to be enough that he had an alarming thought. “I’ve got nothing to light a fire with.”

“I can take care of that,” Robbie assured him. “Just get the wood placed where it should go.”

T.J. placed enough wood in the center of the small clearing for a small fire, then repeated the process at the opening. The rest of the wood was divided between the two spots. Hearing the crackle of burning wood behind him, he turned away from where he was piling wood at the opening to see flames beginning to dance in the center of the clearing. He was about to say something to Robbie when he let out a yell.

The robot dog spun in his direction in time to see the young man pulling a large thorn from the palm of his right hand. “Are you all right?”

“I was careless,” T.J. said, holding his injured hand close.

Robbie walked over to the other pile of branches. “You appear to be bleeding quite a bit. Go wrap your hand while I get this fire going.”

The young man didn’t need any prodding, and quickly moved to where he had dropped the food pack. As he left, Robbie opened his mouth to reveal a small nozzle affixed to his inner jaw. Had anyone been close enough, they might have heard a click and a soft gurgle as a viscous liquid sprayed from the nozzle and coated the wood. A second later, the wood burst into flame.

“How’s the hand?” he asked, as he joined T.J.

“I’ll live,” T.J. said. “I found a napkin in the sack, so I’ve tied it around my hand.”

“That’s good,” Robbie said. “Perhaps you should go ahead and eat something, then try to get some sleep.”

T.J. yawned. “Actually, I’m not that hungry. Sleep does sound good, though.”

Before Robbie had a chance to suggest the young man try to eat a little, T.J. slumped over where he sat next to the food sack and was fast asleep.

Part 25

Mrs. Meng was nothing like the two men expected. Instead of a fearsome harpy with talons and wings and blood soaked fangs, they were surprised to find a kindly looking, slightly portly, elderly Asian woman.

“Welcome,” the woman said. “Please, come in. You are just in time for tea.”

The two men looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.

Mrs. Meng smiled at them, then glanced at Kao Chien-Li. “What have you been telling our guests, Chien-Li? That I have green, mottled skin? That I would open my mouth as wide as a dragon’s and devour them whole?”

“I said nothing of kind,” the man replied.

“He speaks the truth, Ma’am,” Dr. Fate said. “Although, nothing was said to contradict our initial impressions.”

Chien-Li just shrugged, then climbed down off the wagon.

Mrs. Meng led the three men into her home. Inside the clay-covered stone building, they discovered a sparsely decorated room. The centerpiece of the room was a simple wooden table with four chairs. Against the back wall of the home’s main room set a sideboard occupied by four wooden bowls and four wooden cups. The woman retrieved the cups and set them on the table.

“Please, be seated,” the woman instructed.

The three men did as they were told.

“You are seeking a path to your friends,” Mrs. Meng stated, a matter of fact.

After everything he had seen since he first met Richard Occult, Brian was only slightly surprised at the woman’s announcement. Dr. Fate, who had just removed his helmet to better partake of the tea, appeared to be completely unaffected.

“Yes,” the older man said.

Mrs. Meng retrieved a soot-blackened kettle from a small cook stove, while Chien-Li got the cups. After pouring tea for her visitors, Chien-Li, and herself, Mrs. Meng sat down.

“I am unable to do more than locate the Repentant One, which I have already done,” the woman said. “He should be here by day’s end.”

“Thank you,” Brian said. “My friends are capable of taking care of themselves, but since we found out about the mirrors shattering, I’ve been worried that they are in some kind of trouble.”

The four talked for several hours until there was a heavy knock on the door.

“Mrs. Meng?” The voice sounded like a handful of gravel being dragged across a chalkboard. It also held a hint of humble respect.

“Ah,” Mrs. Meng said, a grin appearing on her face. “Chien-Li. Prepare another cup of tea. You know how our friend loves a good cup of tea.”

Chien-Li got up to pour the tea while Mrs. Meng went to open the door.

Brian and Dr. Fate exchanged glances as the man began pouring tea into a large bowl. Despite the amount of tea Chien-Li poured, they could still here liquid sloshing in the small teakettle as he set it back on the stove. When the door opened, they saw why so much tea was needed.

Mrs. Meng stepped back to reveal a hulking shadow filling the doorway. The Repentant One had arrived.

Part 26

Kelli stared out the tower window of the professor’s castle and couldn’t believe the scene that was playing out on the fields beyond. The “bang” of Lazarus’ pistols reminded her that, despite the absurdity of what she saw, it was all too real.

The denizens of this fairy tale realm had begun to gather in defense of their home. Man-size roses had pulled themselves from their beds and, armed with thorns as long as daggers, formed up into companies. Anthropomorphic rabbits, squirrels, ducks, and a whole host of others-each wearing exaggerated clothing and armed with oversized hammers, pitchforks, and the occasional talking blunderbuss-were gathering on the roses flanks. And the army kept growing.

“This isn’t right,” Professor Van Ish said, trembling and rubbing his hands together. “They shouldn’t be putting themselves in danger like this, because of me.”

“Are you all right?” Richard asked. “We can’t have you falling to pieces.”

The professor took a deep breath. “I’m…I’ll be fine.”

“Is there some way you can order them to fall back?” Lazarus asked, as he squeezed off another couple more shots.

“I don’t order anyone in this realm to do anything,” the professor said. “That’s not how it is here.”

“But, they call you master,” Kelli said. “They do everything you tell them.”

Van Ish walked over to the window and looked over Lazarus’ shoulder. “When I discovered this dimension, this castle was already here. The playing card men found me and brought me here. As they showed me around, I noticed that the place lacked any sense of order.

“I admit that my first thoughts were that I could rule this dimension, and also use it as a hideaway from the Marvel Family. Unfortunately, or, perhaps, fortunately, I soon realized that the card men began to look to me for leadership. I discovered that I enjoyed the position they had set me up in. I also discovered that I enjoyed the taking care of the citizens of this whimsical little dimension. One of the biggest drawbacks I have found is the lack of good conversation, hence my habit of repeating myself.

“Anyway, I found that I enjoyed the role of guide to that of ruler. I ask, or suggest, and they do. It is as simple as that.”

“Then ask them to fall back,” Lazarus said.

“I can try,” the professor said, “but, from the looks of things, I doubt they will.”

“Please, try,” Kelli begged.

Van Ish looked at the young woman and saw the concern on her face. He sighed, patted her shoulder, and gave her a nod. “I’ll try.”

“My loyal subjects,” he called out the window, “please fall back.”

The defenders, who were still assembling, stopped where they were. Although they quit moving forward, they did not fall back.

“Get me down there,” Lazarus said. “I’ll try to lead them back.”

The professor pointed to a mirror in the corner. “Through there.”

Lazarus fired a couple more rounds at Morgauth, then ran into the mirror. A heartbeat later, he appeared on the ground between the monster and the defenders.

“Look out!” Kelli screamed, as she leaned out the window. “Morgauth is heading your way.”

Part 27

Mrs. Meng motioned for the demon to enter.

Dipping his horned head, the Repentant One stepped through the door. From the floor to the top of his bald head, the newcomer stood a little over 7-feet tall; the addition of his horns put him right at 8-feet tall. Seeing that the ones he had been called to meet were already present, he bowed his head in greeting.

Fate and Brian returned the greeting. Now that he was fully inside the room, the two men got a good look at the demon.

Aside from his height, and the horns, he appeared mostly human. Mostly. Deep blue flesh covered a muscular frame that rivaled Superman’s. He wore a crimson sleeveless cotton waistcoat and formless dirty-white cotton breeches. He wore no shoes.

“Greetings, Repentant One,” Mrs. Meng said to the demon. “Please allow me to introduce the ones known as Dr. Fate and Detective Brian Walker.”

The two men stood as the demon approached. They bowed at the waist, it was a gesture that the Repentant One returned.

“Mrs. Meng informs me that you are seeking friends lost in another dimension,” the demon said in the same gravelly voice that they had heard outside.

“Yes,” Fate replied. “Master Lao Jen told us that you would be able to help us.”

The demon smiled. “Ah, yes. I remember Lao. I spent an eternity stuck in those infernal glasses of his. If I hadn’t agreed to follow the path of repentance, I would still be there.”

“Please, be seated,” Mrs. Meng said. “Kao, please bring our large friend some tea.”

Kao rose from his seat and did as he was told.

Soon, the five were seated and discussing Brian’s missing companions.

“Do you know the dimension that your companions traveled to?” the Repentant One asked.

“All we have been able to find out is that they are stuck in a different dimension,” Dr. Fate said.

“There are innumerable dimensions,” the demon said. “It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

“Wait a second,” Brian said. “Roarke said a “different dimension”. Weren’t those his exact words, Dr. Fate?”

Fate nodded. “I believe they were.”

“For as long as Roarke and his family have been guarding the mirrors, he should have been able to give us the dimension’s name, or designation, but he didn’t. He said “different”.”

The Repentant One smiled. “I believe I know where they are,” he said. “There is a dimension that attached itself to this reality in recent years. I can get you there, but we will have to pass through a dimension or two to get there.”

Brian looked at Dr. Fate.

“How long before we can leave?” Brian asked. He then looked at Mrs. Meng. “Please forgive my rudeness. I am grateful for your hospitality…”

“But, you are anxious to be reunited with your friends,” the woman said. “At least finish your tea before you go.”

Brian smiled. “Thank you for understanding,” he said.

Part 28

Robbie’s robotic brain repeatedly processed the information available and continually came up to the same conclusion; the thorn was the source of T.J.’s unnatural slumber. He had already made several attempts to wake the young man, including placing his cold metal nose against T.J.’s cheek and releasing a small electrical charge. With no other alternative, Robbie could only think of one thing to do-he had contact Dr. Occult.

Nosing through the pack that T.J. had been carrying, Robbie found the mirror that was to be used to contact the professor. He wasn’t sure how it was supposed to work, so he placed it on the ground and began to call the old man’s name.

“Professor Ish? Dr. Occult?”

There was no answer. He let a few minutes pass and tried to contact them again. Still nothing.

Robbie glanced back at T.J. and shook his head. “I don’t know what they are going through, kid, but it appears we are on our own for now.”

Not knowing what else to do at the moment, the canine robot gathered more wood for the fire, then settled down to wait.

Part 29

Lazarus never heard Kelli’s warning cry, but it didn’t matter. He hadn’t survived numerous gunfights, conflicts, and wars by being caught by surprise. The moment he was on the ground, his guns were blazing.

Morgauth stopped, briefly, as the cowboy’s mystical bullets bit into its flesh with more intensity.

Lazarus took advantage of the monster’s pause and began to direct the professor’s subjects to retreat. It took a promise that help was coming to get them to move. Unfortunately, now that it had so many of its enemies in sight, Morgauth wasn’t about to let them leave alive.

From the window above, Lazarus’ friends could see what was about to happen. Kelli implored the two older men to do something.

Dr. Occult looked at the professor. “Aside from the weapons the guards carry, do you have any others in the castle?”

Van Ish thought for a second, then nodded. “Excuse me,” he said. “Let me just pop up to my quarters and get the map.”

“Map?” Kelli asked.

“Unfortunately, my mind has not yet…settled in its wanderings,” the professor said. “There are many rooms in this castle that I’m sure exist, I just can’t quite remember where they are.” He hurried off down a corridor.

Kelli turned back to Richard. “What about you? Can’t you use your magic?”

“I tried while I was in the cell,” Richard said, “and I couldn’t even open the door. My magic doesn’t work here like it supposed to. Even Robbie commented that he preferred science to voodoo. Apparently, most things here follow an opposite set of rules than they do back home.”

Kelli started to say something when a thought crossed he mind. “If I try something foolish,” she said, “you won’t laugh at me, will you?”

“After some of the things we’ve seen, I think you should try whatever idea that you think might work.”

Kelli began searching around. As she looked, she spoke. “What is the most harmless thing you can think of?”

“Well,” Richard said, “the first thing that comes to mind is the phrase “harmless as a fly.” Why?”

“Wouldn’t a paper fly be even more harmless?” Kelli asked, as she said found a piece of parchment and a quill.

Richard Occult couldn’t help but grin. “Girl, if this works,” he said, “I shall hand paint the Torpedo when we get home.”

Quickly, Kelli sketched a picture of a fly on a corner of the parchment, then tore it off. Walking to the window, she smiled as well. “If this works, I might just hold you to that.”

Wadding the scrap of paper up, she cocked her arm back to throw it out the window, then thought better of it. Balancing it on her thumb, she gave it a flick with her middle finger.

And away it flew.

Flying farther and faster than logically possible, the wadded up paper fly continued to build up speed until it outstripped Lazarus’ bullets. Catching Morgauth in the right leg, just above where its knee would be, the paper struck with enough force to tear away everything up to the thigh.

The mouths that ended Morgauth’s tentacles screamed like they had never screamed before as the monster teetered and fell backwards.

Had it not been for the fact that everyone was on their knees covering their ears trying to block out the horrendous screams, Kelli might have received a host of congratulations.

Part 30

“Do you think they will succeed in locating their friends?” Kao Chien-Li asked Mrs. Meng.

“Not all at once,” Mrs. Meng replied, cryptically, “but, eventually?”

The pair stood watching the three travelers until they disappeared over a rise in the road. As Chien-Li turned and started into the house, he noticed a basket under the table.

“It appears the young one has forgotten his basket,” the man said.

As he pulled it from its resting place and set it on the table, Mrs. Meng entered and closed the door. “He forgot nothing,” she said. “Brian Walker has a good memory, and a good heart.” She opened the basket.

Kao Chien-Li merely nodded as he saw the Hell notes.

* * * * *

The trio traveled for nearly an hour with little conversation between them. For a few brief moments during this time, Brian and the Repentant One thought they heard a few words of Dr. Fate’s side of a conversation with someone somewhere else, but he offered no enlightenment as to whom he had spoken.

“May I ask you something?” Brian asked the demon, as they walked.

“You are curious as to my name before I became a repentant demon,” the demon said.

“You are either telepathic…” Brian started.

“…Or your curiosity is very evident,” the Repentant One finished.

Brian smiled. “I guess so.”

The demon laughed. It was a deep laugh, but very jovial. “I like you. You have a sense of honor about you.”

“Thank you.”

“Before I was trapped by Master Lao Jen and spent an eternity in those accursed glasses of his, I was called Kuei Lan,” the Repentant One said. “And to save you from wondering, its literal translation into your language is “Demon Blue”.”

“Demon Blue,” Brian repeated, like a connoisseur tasting a newly discovered vintage. “I like it.”

The demon gave his new companion a curious look.

“In our business,” Brian said, indicating Dr. Fate and himself, “codenames are pretty much mandatory.”

“So, “Brian” is your codename?” Kuei Lan asked.

“Ah, no,” the detective replied. “Brian is my real name. My teammates call me, well, actually, they still call me Brian. My actual codename is Tracker.”

“And you want me to go by Kuei Lan?” the demon asked.

“Actually,” Brian grinned, “I was thinking more of Demon Blue.”

Kuei Lan stopped, furled his brow, and looked hard at the young man. Brian was about to take a step back when the demon grinned. “I think I like it.”

Beneath his helmet, Dr. Fate chuckled as he saw Brian’s shoulders sag in relief.

Brian started to take a step, but Kuei Lan held up his hand.

“There is no need to go further,” he said. “Here is where we cross into the next dimension.”

Even Fate was curious.

The demon knelt down and picked up a rather plain piece of stone. His two companions watched as he began to shape the stone with his bare hands. Within minutes, the stone strongly resembled a knife. Kuei Lan muttered an arcane phrase, then blew a stream of steam onto the weapon. Reversing the blade in his hand so that the tip pointed away from him, the demon lashed out with a backhanded strike that slashed the very fabric of space. Without a backward glance, he stepped from this dimension into the next.

Dr. Fate and Brian looked at each other for a couple seconds, just long enough for Kuei Lan to poke his head back through the rift.

“Are you two coming, or what?”

The two men stepped through.

Part 31

Once Brian and Dr. Fate had crossed into the next dimension, Kuei Lan grasped both edges of the rift in his large hands and pulled them together. When they touched, he transferred both edges into one hand and pulled the stone knife from where he had tucked it into his waistband. He thrust the knife through the two edges and then stepped back.

The knife flared briefly as threads of light began to knit the two edges of torn reality back together. As the threads moved farther and farther from the knife, the knife’s light grew dimmer and the knife shrank. When the threads had sealed the rift, there was one final flare of light. Afterwards, there was no sign that the rift had ever existed.

Brian was surprised by the appearance of this new dimension. Had he not known better, he would have sworn that he was in one of the many cave systems that seem to draw a moderate amount of visitors each year in the U.S. The trio was standing in a fairly wide passageway that opened into a vast cavern-the far side of which was shrouded in a thick mist. At various places along the walls, and even high up on the ceiling overhead, spots of flickering, phosphorescent lichen supplied a soft, and somewhat eerie, sickly green light. As Kuei led the way across the cavern, winding his way between towering stalagmites, Brian had the opportunity to examine the lichen. He was startled to discover that it was not lichen at all, but rather, clusters of two-inch eyestalks topped with ever blinking lime-colored eyes. As the trio passed by, the eyestalks bent and twisted so they could observe the intruders’ progress.

Occasionally, entire groups of eyestalks would go black, like someone, or something, had passed between them and the travelers. Even though Kuei kept his focus on their destination, Brian and Dr. Fate were constantly looking around. Finally, the older hero voiced his concerns.

“I believe we are being followed,” Dr. Fate said.

“Not followed,” the demon replied, “herded.”

“I don’t believe I like the idea of being herded,” Brian said.

“Neither do I,” Fate added.

“So far, we don’t have anything to worry about,” Kuei assured them. “Whatever is in the shadows can sense the power we have at our disposal and are doing their best to keep us from stopping and “invading” their territory.”

Brian breathed a sigh of relief. “I wish we could let them know that we had no intention of doing any such thing.”

“Don’t let your guard down quite yet,” Kuei warned the detective. “Chances are they are not only herding us out of their territory, but into the territory of something else. It isn’t unusual for weaker dimensional creatures to point an intruder towards an area inhabited by something a whole lot more belligerent. They figure that their neighbors can easily handle anything they themselves are unable to deal with.”

“Can we stop for a minute?” Brian asked. “I want to try something.”

The demon slowed, but did not stop. “That probably isn’t the best of ideas. Do you require rest?”

“No,” Brian replied. “I want to see if I can get a sense of our surroundings. I am learning to sense things of a mystical nature.”

“It would probably be best if we kept moving,” Kuei said. “Perhaps you should learn to focus on your surroundings while you are moving.”

There was no malice in the demon’s words, and Brian realized that there was wisdom in what he said.

“Do you trust me, Brian?” Dr. Fate asked, from behind the detective.

“Of course I do,” Brian replied.

Dr. Fate put his hands on Brian’s shoulders. “Close your eyes and focus, and allow me to guide you.”

Brian had grown up reading and listening to stories about the Justice Society, and he knew that more than all of their powers combined, these heroes from the golden age greatest legacy was their ability to inspire trust. Without reservations, he closed his eyes.

It took a few moments for the detective to let his body sync up with Dr. Fate’s steering, but once it did, his mind began to isolate itself from its physical surroundings. Once his mind was at total peace, Brian began to let his mystical senses reach out and examine this dimension. As he searched, he discovered that with a little effort, he could actually get an image of what was herding them.

The creatures were not all that large, some of the standing barely over a foot tall. At first, they reminded Brian of black and gray teddy bears, but after he finally focused on one, he realized these were like no teddy bears he had ever seen. While they appeared to have the face and body of the cuddly toys, there were a few nightmarish differences. Instead of fluffy little ears, short, barbed horns poked up through the skin on top of their heads. Sharp jagged claws existed where there should have been soft, velvety paws. From the base of their spines, long, serpentine tails with spiny ridges swished back and forth.

Brian shuddered slightly. The sheer numbers of these creatures should have given them the courage to face three intruders. If they were herding Brian and his companions to something else, then he dreaded seeing what awaited them.

Letting his senses expand, and focusing less on the creatures, Brian tried to get a sense of what was ahead. After a few moments, he spoke.

“I seem to be hitting a wall of some sort,” he said.

“That would be the next dimensional barrier,” Kuei said.

Shortly thereafter, the trio reached a point where the Repentant One called a halt. The tension was almost palpable as the citizens of this dimension waited to see whether or not the invaders would leave or make a stand.

Kuei knelt down and sketched a large circle in the dust. He motioned for the others to step into the circle, then uttered a few words in his native language. Immediately, the edge of the circle began to glow, and the three travelers began to sink into the ground. Just before their heads vanished beneath the circle’s rim, Kuei let out a loud roar that sent the small creatures fleeing.

He smiled at his companions. “I’m still working on that “Repentant” part.

In the next instant, they were somewhere else entirely.

Part 32

The dimensional travelers found themselves in the midst of a very harsh landscape. On the horizon, an azure sun was beginning to rise. As it began to climb higher in the sky, they realized that, despite the sunlight being given off, the sun was providing no warmth.

“What types of beings call this realm home?” Dr. Fate asked the demon.

“This realm is void of life,” Kuei replied.

Brian was about to comment on understanding why when he stopped and began to look around. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“The only ones that would be in this realm are the ones who are passing through,” Kuei assured him. “And even if you counted those, it would take many years just to equal the number of fingers on one of your hands.”

“I am getting a sense that we are not alone,” Brian said. He looked around for several seconds before stopping and point off to their left. “There is someone in that direction.”

“Perhaps we should have a look,” Fate suggested.

With Brian in the lead, they started of in the direction of the other travelers.

As they traveled, Brian took note of their surroundings. Sharp, jagged rocks that appeared to be a cross between onyx and lava, some of which were several feet tall, stabbed up through the lifeless dirt. Small bushes of thorny sage dotted the landscape. There was a strange oppression of the soul that made him thankful he was not traveling through this realm alone. He realized that a lone traveler could easily go mad in the vast solitude of the place.

After traveling for a while, they spotted a rather large outcropping of jagged rocks was rising up in the distance. As they drew closer, a thought popped into Brian’s mind that something was familiar. He narrowed his focus on the area around the rocks and realized that the life he had detected was one he had encountered before. He picked up the pace.

“What is it?” Dr. Fate asked.

“I’m sure it is one of my friends,” Brian said. “I’m just not sure which one.”

That information was enough to spur Fate and Kuei to increase their pace as well. The closer they got to the rocks the faster Brian got; he ran the last several yards.

Within the protection of the rocks, Robbie heard the approach. Placing himself between the still-unconscious T.J. Were it possible, his hackles would have been raised and his teethed bared as he prepared to defend his injured friend.

“Occult? Kelli? T.J.?”

Upon hearing the names being called out, Robbie ran to the entrance and began dragging the brush out of the way. “Watch out for the thorns,” he called out to whomever was looking for his friend. “I think they are poisonous.”

The trio found the opening, and was very surprised to find a small robotic dog standing there to greet them. Robbie did not recognize the young man, and the sight of the demon caused him to take a step back in alarm, but when he saw the hero in the gold helmet, he knew they were friends.

“Dr. Fate,” Robbie said.

The hero from the golden age looked at the dog for several seconds before speaking. “Well, I’ll be,” he said. “You are that robot dog that Robotman built, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Robbie said, then quickly changed the conversation. “My friend is sick.”

Brian spotted the body near fire and rushed past Robbie. “T.J.!”

Robbie quickly explained why he and T.J. were there, and what had happened to the young man. “I’ve even tried a mild electric shock to wake him and nothing worked.”

Kuei and Fate knelt down beside Brian. Despite wanting to remain at his friend’s side, the detective knew that Dr. Fate and Kuei could do more for T.J. than what he could. He stood up and joined Robbie.

“How were Kelli and Richard when you left?” Brian asked.

“Things weren’t looking all that good,” Robbie said. “The one called Lazarus seemed to be keeping Morgauth at bay with his pistols, but I don’t know how long he could keep it up.”

Brian was surprised. “So, Lazarus Lane is still alive after all this time.”

“And, apparently, he is in pretty good shape,” Robbie added.

Their conversation was cut short when they saw Dr. Fate helping T.J. to his feet. They quickly joined their friend.

T.J. was still woozy, so Brian put his arm around the young man for support.

“I have countered the effects of the sleep poison from the thorn,” Dr. Fate said, “but I won’t know if there are any other side effects until we get him back home.”

Robbie gently picked the mirror up in his mouth and handed it to Dr. Fate. “You can use this to contact Richard. Just call out for the professor.”

Fate did as he was instructed. “Professor Van Ish? Dr. Occult?”

A second later, his reflection faded and he found himself looking into the face of an old man.

“Who are you?” the professor asked.

“I am called Dr. Fate,” the man replied. “Dr. Occult knows me.”

The professor’s face disappeared, briefly, then reappeared. “Is T.J. all right?”

“He is now, but he had a run in with a local thorn bush. If you can open us a portal, we can bring him back and check him out a bit more thoroughly.”

The professor nodded. “Give me a couple minutes,” he said, then the mirror returned to normal.

Part 33

Richard was waiting for the group when they walked through the mirror. He helped Brian get T.J. to a divan so the young man could lie down.

“We have a demon outside,” Professor Ish told the newcomers, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on Kuei, “and you bring another one into our midst? If Dr. Occult had not vouched for you, I would have left you where you were.”

“I apologize if I’ve upset you,” Kuei said, “but, you can trust me. I’m not like other demons.”

“It’s true,” Dr. Fate said. “Our friend is on the path of repentance.”

“Plus,” Kuei said, with a grin that did nothing to promote his claim of innocence, “I have an idea that might just solve your other problem.”

At that moment, Kelli entered the room. He spotted Brian and walked over and gave him a hug. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I’ve brought friends to help,” Brian replied, then introduced her to Kuei and Dr. Fate.

“It’s a good thing they showed up when they did,” Robbie said.

Kelli looked at the robot dog, then realized that his appearance meant T.J. was here as well. She looked around and saw the young man resting on the divan. She rushed to his side and knelt down beside him.

“Are you all right?” she asked. Before he had a chance to answer, she looked up at Richard. “Is he all right?”

Dr. Fate joined them by the divan. “He was scratched by a thorn which put him into a deep sleep of some sort. I managed to wake him, but we don’t know what other effect the thorn has had on him.”

A panel opened on the front of Robbie’s chest, and a piece of one of the thorns dropped out. The professor removed a gauntlet from a suit of armor and scooped it up. He dumped it out on his desk.

Kelli reached for T.J.’s hand as the others gathered around the desk. A startled gasp escaped her lips as she touched him. The hand that had been scratched appeared to be made of wood.

At that moment, a 3 of Diamonds entered the room. “Master,” it said, keeping a wary eye on Kuei. “Morgauth is starting to rise.”

“Perhaps I should see to this Morgauth while the rest of you see what you can do for you friend,” the Repentant One said.

The professor told the card-man to take Kuei to where Lazarus was.

“I’ll go, too,” Robbie volunteered. “I would hate for the gunslinger to think our new friend was on the opposing team.”

“Good idea,” Richard said.

“Robbie,” T.J. said, his voice low, “thanks for watching over me.”

“Yeah, well…let’s try not to make it a habit,” Robbie said, as he led Kuei away.

Part 34

Kuei’s sudden appearance at his side did, indeed, cause Lazarus to turn his guns on the newcomer. Fortunately, Robbie and the 3 of Diamonds were able to convince him that the demon was a friend.

“Sorry about that,” Lazarus said, turning his guns back toward Morgauth.

“I am getting used to that reaction,” Kuei said.

“Our friend here says he might be able to take care of Morgauth,” Robbie said.

“Be my guest,” Lazarus replied. “What do you need me to do?” He was a bit surprised by Kuei’s answer.

“I need to have a face to face confrontation with the creature,” Kuei told him. “What I need you to do is keep me covered. If that dirty sidewinder makes a move, slap leather and make sure his next permanent address is Boot Hill.”

Lazarus’ mouth dropped open.

“Sorry. Master Lao spent a lot of time watching westerns,” Kuei said. When he saw that Lazarus was still confused, he smiled. “I’ll explain later.”

Turning his attention back to Morgauth, Kuei began walking towards the monster. As he walked, he called out the creature’s name.

Morgauth immediately recognized the one that was closer to his own hellish kind and paused in his rampage. “Have you come to serve me, little demon?” The monster’s voice was a choir of maddening chaos as its words issued forth from a multitude of mouths.

Kuei covered his ears in an attempt to hold onto his sanity. “I have come to give you what you want,” he said, “not to serve you.”

“All shall serve me,” Morgauth responded, “whether it be as slave or as sustenance.”

“Even one who can willingly open a passage for you?” Kuei asked.

Morgauth paused for a moment to give the matter some thought.

The 3 of Diamonds, who was still standing near Lazarus, leaned close and whispered. “It appears that this one is attempting to betray us.”

“Yes, it does,” Lazarus replied. “But something tells me that we can trust him. Despite him being what he is, I still got a sense of their being more good in him than evil.”

“Might I suggest, then, that you “keep him covered” just in case?” the card asked.

Lazarus nodded. “Just in case.”

“Well?” Kuei asked.

“If you can give me what I seek, then I shall consider allowing you your freedom,” Morgauth replied.

Kuei started walking towards the monster. As he drew nearer, Morgauth extended a tentacle until it was inches away from Kuei’s face. An eyeball oozed up from thing’s flesh and rolled down the rest of the length of the tentacle until it came to a stop just above the mouth.

“How is it that you can do this thing?” the mouth asked.

“Because,” Kuei said, fanning away the fetid breath coming from the mouth, “I can.”

The eyeball slowly pivoted until it was looking back at the main body. Several seconds passed before it looked back at the demon.

“Show me,” Morgauth said.

“You know that the human in the castle can open portals using mirrors,” Kuei said, reaching into his vest pocket. “What I have is even more powerful than his mirrors.”

Removing a pair of wire frame sunglasses, the demon put them on.

“How can one as great as I fit through such little lenses?” Morgauth asked.

“Because I have been through them, and they are roomier than they appear,” Kuei said.

Several of Morgauth’s tentacles began to sprout eyes like the first and crowd in close to the demon’s face. With nearly a dozen of them wriggling back and forth before him, Kuei spoke.

“Master Lao Jen extends this invitation.”

Kuei Lan covered his ears as the mouths began to scream in fear and rage.

Lazarus, the 3 of Diamonds, and all of the others both inside and out of the castle did likewise. Despite the noise, however, none of those within sight of the scene could avert their eyes.

What first appeared to be the tentacles reaching towards the glasses soon became obvious. Some force within the mirrored sunglasses was drawing the monster in. Kuei put one foot behind him in an attempt to brace himself. As more and more of Morgauth was drawn into the lenses, Kuei’s attempts became more labored. He felt himself beginning to be pushed backwards.

Amazingly, he felt a body pressing against his back. He heard Lazarus screaming something in his ear. Soon, he felt more and more bodies behind him, supporting him, helping him to stand firm.

With one final screech that was cut off abruptly, Morgauth was pulled completely into the sunglasses.

Kuei felt like collapsing, but found himself being supported by those who had come to his aid. There was a rousing cheer when he muttered two simple words.

“He’s gone.”

Part 35

Lazarus, Robbie, and Kuei arrived in the professor’s study, expecting to find a joyful gathering; the scene that greeted them was far from a happy one. Richard, Professor Van Ish, and Dr. Fate were deep in conversation, while Brian was holding Kelli to his chest as she sobbed uncontrollably.

“T.J.,” Robbie said, brushing past the legs of the demon and the gunslinger. Arriving at the divan, his sensors detected no signs of life. “Ah, kid. I was only kidding about making it a habit.”

“What happened?” Lazarus asked.

Richard walked over to the man. “We’re still trying to figure that out,” he said, “but, it appears T.J. has been turned into wood.”

“How?” the gunslinger asked.

“While we were in the other dimension,” Robbie said, his metallic voice sounding even more hollow than usual, “he was scratched by a thorn.”

Kuei walked over to the desk and picked up the thorn. “This isn’t right.”

“What do you mean?” Dr. Fate asked.

“It doesn’t matter!” Kelli cried out. “T.J.’s dead.”

Ignoring the girl’s grief, mainly because he had no clue as to how to deal with it, Kuei continued to explain himself. “This thorn should not have been in that dimension.” He turned to the professor. “Since you know the location of the dimension we came from, do you think you could take a look those that border it?”

The professor thought for a second, then began to nod. “I can certainly try.”

Richard asked, “What are you thinking?”

Before Kuei could respond, the professor spoke up. “I think I found the one you were looking for?”

“That was quick,” Richard said. “What did you find?”

“That my luck isn’t all bad,” Van Ish said. “The mirror was still locked onto the dimension we were observing. I remembered one of the other dimensions we had looked at while searching for this one. It also had some of these thorn bushes.”

“Right,” Richard said, “but we ruled it out because thorns indicated that there was life there.”

“And since we moved on to the next one, we just forgot about it,” the professor said.

“Then, why did you choose this particular dimension?” Lazarus asked.

“Because, at the time they were observing it,” Kuei answered, jumping back into the conversation, “the thorns hadn’t begun to pierce the veil between the two dimensions.”

“What does any of this matter now?” Kelli asked. “T.J.’s dead.”

As she gently pushed away from Brian and began to wipe away her tears with the palms of her hands, the detective joined Robbie beside the young man’s wooden body. Laying his hand on his friend’s forehead, he closed his eyes. Thinking this was his way of grieving, the others lowered their voices to the level of a whisper.

Dr. Fate turned his attention towards his new friend and cocked his head slightly to the left. Behind his helmet, his eyes watched the scene, unblinking.

“I guess our only course of action,” Brian heard Richard say as he opened his eyes, “is to return his body home and locate his next of kin.”

Kelli began to cry again.

“He doesn’t want you to cry, Kelli.”

Everyone turned towards Brian.

“He’s right,” Lazarus said. “What little time I knew the young man, I got the feeling that he wouldn’t want us to cry for him like this.”

“That’s not what Brian said, though,” Dr. Fate said. “He specifically said “doesn’t”, didn’t you?”

Brian nodded. “T.J.’s trapped in wood, but he’s not dead.”

“The detective has been honing his gifts as we searched you out,” Fate said, before anyone could ask.

“How is he?” Kelli asked, relieved to hear what she considered good news.

“Aside from telling me that his nose itches,” Brian said, with a grin, “he said he would really like to go home.”

“I think that can be arranged,” Richard said.

Epilogue

“After all of his time in that place alone,” Lazarus said, “I sort of expected the professor to join us.”

“I invited him,” Richard said, “but he said that this world wasn’t really his. Besides, he said that he had his people to take care of.”

“Plus, he did offer to visit us sometime,” Kuei said. “He also said that anytime we wanted to visit him, just let him know. Since you all were trying to get the boy home, he gave me the little mirror that we used when we found T.J.”

“How’s Kelli doing?” the detective asked.

“She’s spending a lot of time with T.J. Now that she knows he can hear her, she talks to him whenever she gets a chance,” Richard said. “She said it was so he wouldn’t get lonely, but I think it is as much for her peace of mind as anything.”

“Anything new on his condition?” Brian asked.

“Dr. Fate is checking through his library, hoping he can find something useful,” Richard said, “until then, he said not to give up hope.”

Lazarus looked at the blue-skinned demon. “So, what about you?” he asked. “Are you going to hang around, or do you have to return to the…uh…”

“If you guys don’t mind, I think I’d like to stay,” Kuei said.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like,” Richard said, assuring the repentant demon. “I’m not sure how people will take to your appearance, though.”

“I’ve already taken care of that,” Kuei said. His body began to move and change; it was like watching water being shaped. Seconds later, the demon was gone, and in his place stood a very tall Chinese man. “You can still call me Kuei while I’m in this form, and if anyone asks, Master Lao Jen has provided me with papers legally allowing me to be in this country.”

“And the glasses?” Brian asked.

“I thanked him for loaning them to me,” Kuei said, returning to his demon form.

“That’s where you had come from when we first met you, isn’t it?” Brian asked.

Kuei nodded. “Mrs. Meng knew they would come in handy.”

“What about the robot dog?” Lazarus asked.

“He wants to find Robotman,” Richard said. “After that, he did show a lot of interest in hanging around.”

“This is quite an interesting team you’ve gathered around you, Richard,” Lazarus said. “Any thoughts as to what we are going to call ourselves?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about that,” Richard told them. “A lifetime ago, when I first got into this business, I was associated with an otherworldly group called “The Seven”. Since that is how many of us there are, I thought it might be a name we could take.”

The others thought about it for a few moments.

“I like it,” Kuei said, nodding.

“I’ve seen as many years as you, Richard, and I know that the world is still a place that need heroes,” Lazarus said. “I also know that there is strength in numbers, and the number seven has always been lucky. I think it’s the right name.”

The four walked over to Richard’s office window that looked out over the rest of the converted warehouse. They had a clear view of Kelli and the petrified T.J.

“Then, let’s hope the number ends up being lucky for T.J.,” Brian said.

While everyone nodded, only Kuei spoke. “Amen,” was all he said.

 

 

The End